Soil association/Mark Thomas Slightly OT for Graham...

[Guest guest]

, " k@ " <kittyveg@b...> wrote:

> Graham...

> Did you happen to watch the Mark Thomas Product on Channel 4 last

> Wednesday? He was on about the sham that is organic certification

in this

> country.

 

No I didn't- I didn't know anything about it (didn't even know MT

had a new series!)- I did a web search and looked at C4's site but

couldn't find any more about this, but sounds interesting, it would

be interesting to know what dirt he dug up....

 

 

Rat and I had DIScourse regarding what might be the best manner by

> which to judge the purity of organic products (including fruit and

veg, of

> course). So...you're the best person to ask, we reckon. Aside

from growing

> our own stash, praytell, how can we protect ourselves from nasty,

sundry

> petrochemicals and fertilisers? I know alot of people are critical

of the Soil Association & many who use it's certification scheme

find it overly restrictive. Mark Purdey & Mark Houghton Brown, both

influential figures in the SA, have been almost rabid in their

dennounciations of Vegan Organic systems (have a wee look at

http://www.westonaprice.org/farming/wasteland.html ) and the SA seem

to genrally follow an ideaology that animal farming is essential for

sustainable agriculture in the UK.

 

On The other hand, the Vegan Organic Network

http://www.veganorganic.supanet.com/ are developing their own

accreditation scheme for producing guaranteed Vegan Organic produce

under the heading of 'Clean, Green & Cruelty free'. A friend of mine

is one of the pilot projects for the VON scheme, but he's run into

some problems due to finding some lead contamination in his soil.

 

There is another scheme, the name of which I forget, which is being

developed for producing good quality organic produce which is less

rigourous & restrictive than SA, and based much more on trust

relations between producer & consumer.

 

Mark Fisher (not a vegan BTW) sent me a post critisising the Soil

Associations recieved wisdom that animal farming is essential for

sustainable long term land management in the UK- I forwarded it to

my Eco-Vegans list, so i'll try & fish it out of the archives & post

it here...

 

Help!

> Hope that you don't mind my asking. If you just want to direct

me to your

> website, I'll dutifully go there and have a read.

 

Go anyway- it's at www.landandliberty.co.uk (plug plug!)

 

I just wasn't aware that

> certain chemical fertilisers are permitted for use on seed

coatings to be

> used for organic produce grown here in the UK.

 

Nor was I. I know that some pesticides are permitted under some

circumstances such as derris, etc, but not seed dressings...

 

Cheers for now

Graham