The Stadtwerke München (SWM) [Munich Water Company] is
taking strong steps to keep pesticide residues out of drinking water. The
company is paying farmers to farm organically, rather implementing expensive
procedures to extract pesticide residues and nitrates from drinking water.
“Despite declaring certain areas ‘protected’, to ensure clean water
supplies, there was a problem with rising levels of nitrates and pesticides
in Munich drinking water”’ says Knut Höllein of SWM. “The
concentration of contamination was below the safety limits set by German
authorities, but the upward trend had to be halted. Therefore organic
farming was adopted during 1992-93 as a new forward-looking strategy for
water protection.”
In the Mangfall valley south-east of Munich (6,000 ha),
has been designated by SWM as a target area for conversion to organic
farming. So far 92 farms covering 2,250 ha (70% of the agricultural land in
the area) are farmed organically, making it the largest area of organic
farming in Germany. Farmers’ initial reservations about the scheme have
been addressed by providing financial support and advice. Organic farms
receive 550 DM per ha per year as a six-year subsidy towards the cost of
conversion. Farmers are bound by their contracts and subsidy to adhere to
strict guidelines. A co-operative has been formed to process and market the
produce. ‘Bio products’, as they are known, are supported by SWM with
advertising, publicity and posters. One special promotion involves
‘children’s milk’ with the slogan: “One litre of Bio milk
contributes to the protection of 4,000 litres of Munich’s drinking
water.”
Knut Höllein is confident about the programme: “We
hope a further 24 farms will join what we have called the ‘Munich
Model’.” Water residue analysis has shown that levels of nitrate down
from 14 µg/litre to 8-10 µg/l (in the worst cases) and levels of the
herbicide atrazine are down from 50/40 ng/l to less than 10 ng/l.
“Confrontation has been replaced with co-operation,” he concludes.
Knut Höllein, Stadtwerke München, HA Wasserversorgung, Infanterieststrasse 8, 80287 München, Germany.
[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 32, June 1996, page 18]