Should George W go ballistic or organic?

When cyclone Katrina devastated New Orleans, the reaction from George W. was initially to ignore it. Threats from terrorists are easy to deal with – just roll out the guns and tanks and bomb them into submission. But threats from nature totally baffled the President; here was an enemy whose overwhelming power couldn't be subdued with guns and missiles. By protecting the profligate use of oil, George W. had ignored its undeniable impact on global warming. The subsequent ferocity of cyclone Katrina was the result of exceptionally high water temperatures in the Caribbean.

What has all this got to do with organic gardeners?

Well I've just spent 6 days in the company of leading organic farmers from all parts of the world at the Adelaide Conference of IFOAM (International Federation Of Organic Agriculture Movements). Most of us think organics is just about banning pesticides and artificial fertilisers, but it also has most of the solutions to global warming that our Prime Minister and George W. are ignoring.
The organic movement's holistic approach sees humans as part of the ecosystem, whilst our political leaders seek to dominate it. The President of IFOAM declared:
“Our goal is the world wide adaptation of ecologically, socially and economically sound systems that are based on the Principles of Organic Agriculture”.
The organic movement's nurturing, feminine approach is an essential counter balance to the destructive force of man.
“Industrial food production is unsustainable, relying on dwindling fossil fuel supplies to power machinery, irrigation and transport systems. It is contributing to climate change, environmental pollution and degradation, and the suffering of millions of animals. Meanwhile ships carrying identical food product pass each other on the high seas, needlessly shuffling food about in the name of free trade, but costing us the earth”, Sue Kedgley.

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Globalisation of our food supply has a disastrous impact on global warming. If we followed the basic law of organics and grew our own, or bought fresh, regional and local food we would significantly reduce greenhouse gases.
The destruction of soil organic matter by conventional farming methods contributes even more to global warming than the use of either fossil fuels by tractors and machinery or the burning of native vegetation, for there is twice as much carbon stored in the soil as in our trees and other vegetation.

Why does organic food cost more?

Organic food is checked and certified by organic organisations to ensure it meets the highest standards and this is built into the price of food. So organic food, unlike conventional food, incorporates the real ecological cost of not polluting our streams, eroding our soils or destroying diversity. Conventional food is not produced or checked to verify its ecological or health imp acts. Organic certification all costs more, but it is your guarantee that organic is healthy and sustainable.
These are some of the reasons the Digger's Club makes an unequivocal commitment to the organic movement because the survival of our planet depends on it. You too can help not just by following organic principles when you grow or buy you own food, but by demanding organic clothes and other products. You will be helping to solve our ecological problems as surely as if you installed solar hot water or switched to fuel efficient cars.