You can usually tell when a book's been well read by the fact that its spine is creased and its pages are dog eared.  Not so with (EJ Member) Provokateur's wonderful new publication  Acme Climate Action.  If its readers have done their job properly there should be nothing left of the book!

Acme Climate Action is actually not so much a book than a set of innovative and imaginative resources for those of us who want to rev up activity to tackle the problems of
climate change.  There are posters, factsheets, stickers, postcards, games and much much more. And the really great thing is that the serious messages are given with such style and humour that they simply cannot fail to have a positive impact.  So much more effective than a grim, doom laden tome!

For a long time I have been looking for something to give to friends and relatives that will really make them think and, more importantly,act.  Acme Climate Action is now definitely top of my list for this.

I could write more but really all I want to say is everyone who cares enough to try to influence others should get Acme Climate Active today......

Ethical Pulse has five copies of the book to give away, courtesy of publishers Fourth Estate.  Just answer the following question and email your answer to richard@ethical-junction.org and entitle your email ‘Acme Climate Action Competition'.  Please also include your full name and postal address.  Entries must be received by midnight on 8 September 2008.  Winners will be chosen at random and the notified by email as soon as possible after the closing date.

Question: True or False ‘At least five of the hottest years on record have been in the past decade'

To find out more about the book visit http://www.acmeclimateaction.com/

Richard Barnett
Editor - Ethical Pulse

Purity a fair trade and organic boutique has opened its doors in Farnham, Surrey. Selling women's, children's and baby clothes it is the brainchild of Paula Beaumont.

She explains that, 'After working in the mainstream fashion industry for 20 years I was increasingly frustrated by the lack of emphasis larger retailers put on selling green clothes. We wanted to bring organic and fairtrade fashion to the general public. It would have been easy to have just had a web presence and be a virtual store, but we felt that we would be just selling to the converted. We wanted to make a difference and show the average high street shopper that beautiful ethical clothes do exist and shake off the 'hippy' image that many consumers have. It's amazing how many of our customers don't realize that the clothing is organic or fair-trade until they reach the till - and we see that as a good thing".

Purity offer some tips on buying ethical clothes, as there are many companies out their claiming great green credentials. Always check the labels for certification of organic or fair trade status. If you can't find it - ask! If they can't produce evidence then it is usually an indication that all is not what is claimed. Many fabrics claim to be "green" - but their credentials aren't quite as green as you would think. Bamboo fabric, for instance, claims to be a very green product. While it can be grown sustainably, manufactures fail to mention the dangerous chemicals used to transform it into a fabric. These chemicals can cause health problems and neural disorders for workers.

Soya fabric is another product that some of the "eco" designers are turning to. This fabric has very little green credentials and Soya farming is causing the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. So the message we give is, just because a fabric is new and made of something different - it doesn't make it green. Always check for organic certification. Up and coming trends in green fashion include an increasing amount of designers working with reclaimed materials.

Reusing existing local materials has got to have one of the lowest impacts on planet earth. We have a fantastic range of clothes coming in for the autumn/winter made from reclaimed clothing. One of our designers spends their time scouring the jumble sales for clothes that nobody wants any more only to turn them into new funky fashionable items. Purity can be found at 20 Downing Street, Farnham, Surrey, or on the web at www.puritystyle.com

The scheme is aimed at websites with visitors that may like to meet someone special and who have an ethical outlook on life. The company has turned to eee.coop, an affiliate marketing network specifically for promoting eco and socially friendly campaigns, products and services for full management and promotion of the scheme.

Joining as a Natural-Friends affiliate is simple, free and a great way to increase website revenue. Once signed up, affiliates are provided with a range of promotional banners, text links, reviews and content for promoting Natural-Friends. When a customer clicks on any of the linked banner ads, they will be taken directly to www.natural-friends.com. For all new members who sign up, affiliates will receive 30% commission of the membership period cost, paid monthly.

James Bradshaw, co-founder of Natural-Friends says, "Our new affiliate scheme is a fantastic way for eco and green businesses to increase their revenue. Together with eee.coop, we will provide support where possible to help affiliates earn a healthy monthly commission. This is an excellent chance to be part of an ethical cooperative where values really matter."

Lloyd Apter, founder and network manager of eee.coop says, "The most important decision that we make in our lives is undoubtedly the selection of our life partner. Needless to say, a dating community focusing on helping environmentally aware people to find each other is one of the most basic foundations for building an ethical and sustainable society.  It is, therefore, extremely fortunate and very fitting that our latest Client is the most established ethical dating community online, Natural-Friends. We at eee.coop are truly honoured to be assisting the Bradshaws to grow Natural-Friends into one of the biggest dating communities online."

Companies interested in becoming a Natural-Friends affiliate should sign up at the eee.coop / Natural Friends page

As individuals it's easy to forget when you're part of something bigger and the impact you can have as a group so we thought we'd remind you . . .

The inspiration and organisation for Organic Fortnight is the Soil Association, Ethical Junction Member 271

Ethical Junction members supporting the event include:

Adili- Ethical Junction Member 6227
    Ethical Fashion: Organic / Fairly traded clothing
   
Balm Balm Ltd- Ethical Junction Member 5002
    Balm Balm, 100% organically grown ingredients that are SA certified.
  
Bella Natura- Ethical Junction Member 7647
    Organic and Fair Trade Not for Profit Clothing

Beyond Organic Skincare- Ethical Junction Member 7704
    Manufacturers of 100% natural and organic skin products
   
Biodynamic Agricultural Association BDAA- Ethical Junction Member 150
    Promotes holistic & ethical agriculture
   
Bishopston Trading Company- Ethical Junction Member 153
    Fairtrade certified clothing company
   
Calonwen Organic Milk- Ethical Junction Member 7624
    Organic Milk Served Fresh by Farmers
   
Ecotricity- Ethical Junction Member 6163
    The most dedicated renewable energy supplier in UK.
  
Fish4Ever- Ethical Junction Member 7788
    Sustainable fish in a can, high quality, healthy, ethical
   
Graig Farm Organics- Ethical Junction Member 808
    Organic meats & food from mid-Wales
   
Green People Company- Ethical Junction Member 832
    Organically grown heath/beauty products
   
Greenfibres- Ethical Junction Member 851
    Greenfibres sells organic cotton clothes
   
Greenpeace- Ethical Junction Member 854
    Environmental campaign organisation

HUG- Ethical Junction Member 858
    luxury organic cotton tops    

Low and Behold Limited- Ethical Junction Member 6339
    Low impact clothing
   
LUMA- Ethical Junction Member 6212
    Organic fabrics & textiles for around the home.
   
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)- Ethical Junction Member 6050
    Best environmental choice for seafood
 
Montezuma's- Ethical Junction Member 7823
    Award Winning British Chocolate
   
Natracare - Bodywise (UK) Ltd- Ethical Junction Member 7843
    Offering organic and natural solutions for personal health care
   
The Natural Nursery- Ethical Junction Member 2119
    Organic and fairly traded products for families
   
Organico Real Foods Ltd- Ethical Junction Member 7787
    Organico Mediterranean specialities - pastas,sauces, olives etc
   
Ragman's Lane Farm- Ethical Junction Member 764
    Permaculture farm running courses
   
Rathbone Greenbank Investments- Ethical Junction Member 7507
    Ethical investment for individuals, trusts and charities.
   
Sedlescombe Organic Vineyard- Ethical Junction Member 251
    Organic English wines, juices & ciders
   
Simply Organic Food Company Ltd- Ethical Junction Member 262
    Organic food & essentials nationwide   

Smith Bros. - Enviro Materials- Ethical Junction Member 7555
    Sustainable materials supplier
   
Solarsense UK Ltd- Ethical Junction Member 276
    Solar heating suppliers & installers
   
Suma Wholefoods- Ethical Junction Member 291
    National supplier of ethical and wholefood products

Sustained Magazine- Ethical Junction Member 1030
    Small Change Big Difference
   
The Ecologist- Ethical Junction Member 440
    Monthly environmental journal
   
Village Bakery Melmerby Ltd- Ethical Junction Member 397
    Mail-order organic breads & cakes
   
Triodos Bank- Ethical Junction Member 6225
    Ethical Banking Services
   
Tropical Wholefoods- Ethical Junction Member 554
    Importers of fair traded tropical fruits
   
Vincermos Wines and Spirits Ltd- Ethical Junction Member 398
    Organic wines and more by mail order
   
Viva!- Ethical Junction Member 6320
    Vegetarian and vegan campaigning organisation
   
Ethical Junction - Changing the world one new member at a time!

Set in Bristol's famous harbourside it's Europe's largest celebration
of all things organic, incorporating bustling food markets, the very
best organic food, drink, fashion, skincare and homeware products, the
green planet pavilion, a talks programme, demonstration kitchen, food
cruises around the harbour, and an arts and entertainment fringe!

If you're heading there with the family there's loads more planned for kids this year, with Organix sponsoring the Children's Zone and such delights as the Food For Life Cookery Bus and the Whole Earth Food Trail, whilst the Demo Kitchen returns with a serious programme of culinary arts.

Wander into the Fashion and Textile Marquee and see how a sheep's fleece is turned into a garment. Cornish Organic Wool is supplying organic fleece from Bosigran Farm, Zennor (recent winners at The Royal Cornwall Show in the fleece competition), which will be carded, spun and knitted by Spinning Weal from Clevedon, Somerset. Visitors are very welcome to come and have a go at carding, spinning and knitting.

Neal's Yard Remedies have their own dedicated skincare marquee with an area set aside to offer visitors a mini vitality MOT. Customers will find out their plant vitality profile - a driven and ambitious shoot, a creative flower, a nurturing seed or a contemplative root. From this, a specialist will examine skin vitality and provide tips on how to improve skin and life vitality.

This year Neal's Yard Remedies will be hosting a special talks and workshop
area on their stand, where there will be practical talks on anti-aging through to the natural approach for mothers and babies, with celebrity presenter on the Steve Wright Show and Sustained's BE You editor, Janey Lee Grace, author of the bestselling Imperfectly Natural series.

There's much more besides, oh yes, and I'll be on the Alistair Sawday's stand signing copies of my hot off the press eco-read, The Book of Rubbish Ideas ....

Visit the Soil Association website for further information and I'll look forward to seeing you there!

TSx

The above it taken from Tracey's blog at Sustained magazine

1. Yield

Switching to organic farming would have different effects according to where in the world you live and how you currently farm.

Studies show that the less-industrialised world stands to benefit the most. In southern Brazil, maize and wheat yields doubled on farms that changed to green manures and nitrogenfixing leguminous vegetables instead of chemical fertilisers.1 In Mexico, coffee-growers who chose to move to fully organic production methods saw increases of 50 per cent in the weight of beans they harvested. In fact, in an analysis of more than 286 organic conversions in 57 countries, the average yield increase was found to be an impressive 64 per cent.2

The situation is more complex in the industrialised world, where farms are large, intensive facilities, and opinions are divided on how organic yields would compare.

Research by the University of Essex in 1999 found that, although yields on US farms that converted to organic initially dropped by between 10 and 15 per cent, they soon recovered, and the farms became more productive than their all-chemical counterparts.3 In the UK, however, a study by the Elm Farm Research Centre predicted that a national transition to all-organic farming would see cereal, rapeseed and sugar beet yields fall by between 30 and 60 per cent.4 Even the Soil Association admits that, on average in the UK, organic yields are 30 per cent lower than non-organic.

So can we hope to feed ourselves organically in the British Isles and Northern Europe? An analysis by former Ecologist editor Simon Fairlie in The Land journal suggests that we can, but only if we are prepared to rethink our diet and farming practices.5 In Fairlie's scenario, each of the UK's 60 million citizens could have organic cereals, potatoes, sugar, vegetables and fruit, fish, pork, chicken and beef, as well as wool and flax for clothes and biomass crops for heating. To achieve this we'd each have to cut down to around 230g of beef (1⁄2lb), compared to an average of 630g (11⁄2lb) today, 252g of pork/bacon, 210g of chicken and just under 4kg (9lb) of dairy produce each week - considerably more than the country enjoyed in 1945. We would probably need to supplement our diet with homegrown vegetables, save our food scraps as livestock feed and reform the sewage system to use our waste as an organic fertiliser.

2. Energy

Currently, we use around 10 calories of fossil energy to produce one calorie of food energy. In a fuel-scarce future, which experts think could arrive as early as 2012, such numbers simply won't stack up. Studies by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs over the past three years have shown that, on average, organically grown crops use 25 per cent less energy than their chemical cousins. Certain crops achieve even better reductions,including organic leeks (58 per cent less energy) and broccoli (49 per cent less energy). When these savings are combined with stringent energy conservation and local distribution and consumption (such as organic box schemes), energy-use dwindles to a fraction of that needed for an intensive, centralised food system. A study by the University of Surrey shows that food from Tolhurst Organic Produce, a smallholding in Berkshire, which supplies 400 households with vegetable boxes, uses 90 per cent less energy than if non-organic produce had been delivered and bought in a supermarket.

Far from being simply 'energy-lite', however, organic farms have the potential to become self-sufficient in energy - or even to become energy exporters. The 'Dream Farm' model, first proposed by Mauritius-born agroscientist George Chan, sees farms feeding manure and waste from livestock and crops into biodigesters, which convert it into a methane-rich gas to be used for creating heat and electricity. The residue from these biodigesters is a crumbly, nutrient-rich fertiliser, which can be spread on soil to increase crop yields or further digested by algae and used as a fish or animal feed.

3. Greenhouse gas emissions and climate change

Despite organic farming's low-energy methods, it is not in reducing demand for power that the techniques stand to make the biggest savings in greenhouse gas emissions.

The production of ammonium nitrate fertiliser, which is indispensable to conventional farming, produces vast quantities of nitrous oxide - a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential some 320 times greater than that of CO2. In fact, the production of one tonne of ammonium nitrate creates 6.7 tonnes of greenhouse gases (CO_e), and was responsible for around 10 per cent of all industrial greenhouse gas emissions in Europe in 2003.6

The techniques used in organic agriculture to enhance soil fertility in turn encourage crops to develop deeper roots, which increase the amount of organic matter in the soil, locking up carbon underground and keeping it out of the atmosphere. The opposite happens in conventional farming: high quantities of artificially supplied nutrients encourage quick growth and shallow roots. A study published in 1995 in the journal Ecological Applications found that levels of carbon in the soils of organic farms in California were as much as 28 per cent higher as a result.7 And research by the Rodale Institute shows that if the US were to convert all its corn and soybean fields to organic methods, the amount of carbon that could be stored in the soil would equal 73 per cent of the country's (would-be) Kyoto targets for CO_ reduction.8

Organic farming might also go some way towards salvaging the reputation of the cow, demonised in 2007 as a major source of methane at both ends of its digestive tract. There's no doubt that this is a problem: estimates put global methane emissions from ruminant livestock at around 80 million tonnes a year,9 equivalent to around two billion tonnes of CO_,10 or close to the annual CO_ output of Russia and the UK combined.11 But by changing the pasturage on which animals graze to legumes such as clover or birdsfoot trefoil (often grown anyway by organic farmers to improve soil nitrogen content), scientists at the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research believe that methane emissions could be cut dramatically. Because the leguminous foliage is more digestible, bacteria in the cow's gut are less able to turn the fodder into methane. Cows also seem naturally to prefer eating birdsfoot trefoil to ordinary grass.

4. Water use

Agriculture is officially the most thirsty industry on the planet, consuming a staggering 72 per cent of all global freshwater at a time when the UN says 80 per cent of our water supplies are being overexploited.12,13

This hasn't always been the case. Traditionally, agricultural crops were restricted to those areas best suited to their physiology, with drought-tolerant species grown in the tropics and water-demanding crops in temperate regions.14 Global trade throughout the second half of the last century led to a worldwide production of grains dominated by a handful of high-yielding cereal crops, notably wheat, maize and rice. These thirsty cereals - the 'big three' - now account for more than half of the world's plant-based calories and 85 per cent of total grain production.15

Organic agriculture is different. Due to its emphasis on healthy soil structure, organic farming avoids many of the problems associated with compaction, erosion, salinisation and soil degradation, which are prevalent in intensive systems.16 Organic manures and green mulches are applied even before the crop is sown, leading to a process known as 'mineralisation' - literally the fixing of minerals in the soil. Mineralised organic matter, conspicuously absent from synthetic fertilisers, is one of the essential ingredients required physically and chemically to hold water on the land.

Organic management also uses crop rotations, undersowing and mixed cropping to provide the soil with near-continuous cover. By contrast, conventional farm soils may be left uncovered for extended periods prior to sowing, and again following the harvest, leaving essential organic matter fully exposed to erosion by rain, wind and sunlight. In the US, a 25-year Rodale Institute experiment on climatic extremes found that, due to improved soil structure, organic systems consistently achieve higher yields during periods both of drought and flooding.17

5. Localisation

The globalisation of our food supply, which gives us Peruvian apples in June and Spanish lettuces in February, has seen our food reduced to a commodity in an increasingly volatile global marketplace. Although year-round availability makes for good marketing in the eyes of the biggest retailers, the costs to the environment are immense.

Friends of the Earth estimates that the average meal in the UK travels 1,000 miles from plot to plate.18 In 2005, Defra released a comprehensive report on food miles in the UK, which valued the direct environmental, social and economic costs of food transport in Britain at £9 billion each year. In addition, food transport accounted for more than 30 billion vehicle kilometres, 25 per cent of all HGV journeys and 19 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2002 alone.19

The organic movement was born out of a commitment to provide local food for local people, and so it is logical that organic marketing encourages localisation through veg boxes, farm shops and stalls. Between 2005 and 2006, organic sales made through direct marketing outlets such as these increased by 53 per cent, from £95 to £146 million, more than double the sales growth experienced by the major supermarkets.20 As we enter an age of unprecedented food insecurity, it is essential that our consumption reflects not only what is desirable, but also what is ultimately sustainable. While the 'organic' label itself may inevitably be hijacked, 'organic and local' represents a solution with which the global players can simply never compete.

6. Pesticides

It is a shocking testimony to the power of the agrochemical industry that in the 45 years since Rachel Carson published her pesticide warning Silent Spring, the number of commercially available synthetic pesticides has risen from 22 to more than 450.21

According to the World Health Organization there are an estimated 20,000 accidental deaths worldwide each year from pesticide exposure and poisoning.22 More than 31 million kilograms of pesticide were applied to UK crops alone in 2005, 0.5 kilograms for every person in the country.23 A spiralling dependence on pesticides throughout recent decades has resulted in a catalogue of repercussions, including pest resistance, disease susceptibility, loss of natural biological controls and reduced nutrient-cycling.24

Organic farmers, on the other hand, believe that a healthy plant grown in a healthy soil will ultimately be more resistant to pest damage. Organic systems encourage a variety of natural methods to enhance soil and plant health, in turn reducing incidences of pests, weeds and disease.

First and foremost, because organic plants grow comparatively slower than conventional varieties they have thicker cell walls, which provide a tougher natural barrier to pests. Rotations or 'break-crops', which are central to organic production, also provide a physical obstacle to pest and disease lifecycles by removing crops from a given plot for extended periods.25 Organic systems also rely heavily on a rich agro-ecosystem in which many agricultural pests can be controlled by their natural predators.

Inevitably, however, there are times when pestilence attacks are especially prolonged or virulent, and here permitted pesticides may be used. The use of organic pesticides is heavily regulated and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) requires specific criteria to be met before pesticide applications can be justified.26

There are in fact only four active ingredients permitted for use on organic crops: copper fungicides, restricted largely to potatoes and occasionally orchards; sulphur, used to control additional elements of fungal diseases; Retenone, a naturally occurring plant extract, and soft soap, derived from potassium soap and used to control aphids. Herbicides are entirely prohibited.

7. Ecosystem impact

Farmland accounts for 70 per cent of UK land mass, making it the single most influential enterprise affecting our wildlife.27 Incentives offered for intensification under the Common Agricultural Policy are largely responsible for negative ecosystem impacts over recent years. Since 1962, farmland bird numbers have declined by an average of 30 per cent. During the same period more than 192,000 kilometres of hedgerows have been removed, while 45 per cent of our ancient woodland has been converted to cropland.28

By contrast, organic farms actively encourage biodiversity in order to maintain soil fertility and aid natural pest control. Mixed farming systems ensure that a diversity of food and nesting sites are available throughout the year, compared with conventional farms where autumn sow crops leave little winter vegetation available.29

Organic production systems are designed to respect the balance observed in our natural ecosystems. It is widely accepted that controlling or suppressing one element of wildlife, even if it is a pest, will have unpredictable impacts on the rest of the food chain. Instead, organic producers regard a healthy ecosystem as essential to a healthy farm, rather than a barrier to production.

In 2005, a report by English Nature and the RSPB on the impacts of organic farming on biodiversity reviewed more than 70 independent studies of flora, invertebrates, birds and mammals within organic and conventional farming systems. It concluded that biodiversity is enhanced at every level of the food chain under organic management practices, from soil micro-biota right through to farmland birds and the largest mammals.30

8. Nutritional benefits

While an all-organic farming system might mean we'd have to make do with slightly less food than we're used to, research shows that we can rest assured it would be better for us.

In 2001, a study in the Journal of Complementary Medicine found that organic crops contained higher levels of 21 essential nutrients than their conventionally grown counterparts, including iron, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin C. The organic crops also contained lower levels of nitrates, which can be toxic to the body.31

Other studies have found significantly higher levels of vitamins - as well as polyphenols and antioxidants - in organic fruit and veg, all of which are thought to play a role in cancer-prevention within the body.32

Scientists have also been able to work out why organic farming produces more nutritious food. Avoiding chemical fertiliser reduces nitrates levels in the food; better quality soil increases the availability of trace minerals, and reduced levels of pesticides mean that the plants' own immune systems grow stronger, producing higher levels ofantioxidants. Slower rates of growth also mean that organic food frequently contains higher levels of dry mass, meaning that fruit and vegetables are less pumped up with water and so contain more nutrients by weight than intensively grown crops do.33

Milk from organically fed cows has been found to contain higher levels of nutrients in six separate studies, including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, all of which can help prevent cancer. One experiment discovered that levels of omega-3 in organic milk were on average 68 per cent higher than in non-organic alternatives.34

But as well as giving us more of what we do need, organic food can help to give us less of what we don't. In 2000, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) found that organically produced food had 'lower levels of pesticide and veterinary drug residues' than non-organic did.35 Although organic farmers are allowed to use antibiotics when absolutely necessary to treat disease, the routine use of the drugs in animal feed - common on intensive livestock farms - is forbidden. This means a shift to organic livestock farming could help tackle problems such as the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

9. Seed-saving

Seeds are not simply a source of food; they are living testimony to more than 10,000 years of agricultural domestication. Tragically, however, they are a resource that has suffered unprecedented neglect. The UN FAO estimates that 75 per cent of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost over the past 100 years.36

Traditionally, farming communities have saved seeds year-on-year, both in order to save costs and to trade with their neighbours. As a result, seed varieties evolved in response to local climatic and seasonal conditions, leading to a wide variety of fruiting times, seed size, appearance and flavour. More importantly, this meant a constant updating process for the seed's genetic resistance to changing climatic conditions, new pests and diseases.

By contrast, modern intensive agriculture depends on relatively few crops - only about 150 species are cultivated on any significant scale worldwide. This is the inheritance of the Green Revolution, which in the late 1950s perfected varieties Filial 1, or F1 seed technology, which produced hybrid seeds with specifically desirable genetic qualities.37 These new high-yield seeds were widely adopted, but because the genetic makeup of hybrid F1 seeds becomes diluted following the first harvest, the manufacturers ensured that farmers return for more seed year on year.

With its emphasis on diversity, organic farming is somewhat cushioned from exploitation on this scale, but even Syngenta, the world's third-largest biotech company, now offers organic seed lines. Although seedsaving is not a prerequisite for organic production, the holistic nature of organics lends itself well to conserving seed.

In support of this, the Heritage Seed Library, in Warwickshire, is a collection of more than 800 open-pollinated organic varieties, which have been carefully preserved by gardeners across the country. Although their seeds are not yet commercially available, the Library is at the forefront of addressing the alarming erosion of our agricultural diversity.

Seed-saving and the development of local varieties must become a key component of organic farming, giving crops the potential to evolve in response to what could be rapidly changing climatic conditions. This will help agriculture keeps pace with climate change in the field, rather than in the laboratory.

10. Job creation

There is no doubt British farming is currently in crisis. With an average of 37 farmers leaving the land every day, there are now more prisoners behind bars in the UK than there are farmers in the fields.38

Although it has been slow, the decline in the rural labour force is a predictable consequence of the industrialisation of agriculture. A mere one per cent of the UK workforce is now employed in land-related enterprises, compared with 35 per cent at the turn of the last century.39

The implications of this decline are serious. A skilled agricultural workforce will be essential in order to maintain food security in the coming transition towards a new model of post-fossil fuel farming. Many of these skills have already been eroded through mechanisation and a move towards more specialised and intensive production systems.

Organic farming is an exception to these trends. By its nature, organic production relies on labour-intensive management practices. Smaller, more diverse farming systems require a level of husbandry that is simply uneconomical at any other scale. Organic crops and livestock also demand specialist knowledge and regular monitoring in the absence of agrochemical controls.

According to a 2006 report by the University of Essex, organic farming in the UK provides 32 per cent more jobs per farm than comparable non-organic farms. Interestingly, the report also concluded that the higher employment observed could not be replicated in non-organic farming through initiatives such as local marketing. Instead, the majority (81 per cent) of total employment on organic farms was created by the organic production system itself. The report estimates that 93,000 new jobs would be created if all farming in the UK were to convert to organic.

Organic farming also accounts for more younger employees than any other sector in the industry. The average age of conventional UK farmers is now 56, yet organic farms increasingly attract a younger more enthusiastic workforce, people who view organics as the future of food production. It is for this next generation of farmers that Organic Futures, a campaign group set up by the Soil Association in 2007, is striving to provide a platform.

Ed Hamer is a freelance journalist

Mark Anslow is the Ecologist's senior reporter

References

1 Andre Leu, 'Organic Agriculture Can Feed the World' in Organic Farming, Winter 2007, citing Jules Pretty, 2001

2 Pretty, 2006. http://www.rimisp.org/getdoc.php?docid=6440

3 Pretty, 1999, 'The Living Land'.

4 Cited in Woodward, 2003. http://www.efrc.com/?i=articles.php&art_id=42&highlight=organic

5 Fairlie, 2007, 'Can Britain Feed Itself?', The Land, Winter 2007-8.

6 EEA data for EU-15, 2003, for nitric acid production cited by Soil Association

7 Drinkwater LE et al. 'Fundamental differences between conventional and organic tomato agroecosystems in California', Ecological Applications 1995, 5(4), 1098-1112.

8 http://www.newfarm.org/depts/NFfield_trials/1003/carbonsequest.shtml

9 US EPA, 1998, 'Ruminant Livestock and the Global Environment'

10 Using a multiplier factor of 24.5

11 Russia annual CO2 emissions: 1,524,993,000 tonnes; UK annual CO2 emissions: 587,261,000 tonnes.

12 Weis, T. (2007) The global food economy: the battle for the future of farming, Zed Books, London.

13 UNESCO (2006) United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation, World Water Development Report 2006: http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/index.shtml

14 Alteiri, M. (1987) Agroecology: The Scientific Basis of Alternative Agriculture, Westview Press, Boulder.

15 FAO (1997) The State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Rome.

16 Lampkin, N. (1990) Organic Farming, Farming Press Books, Ipswich.

17 Lim Li Ching (2005) Organic Outperforms Conventional in Climate Extremes, web accesses: http://www.i-sis.org.uk/OrganicOutperforms.php

18 FOE (2006) http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/green_new_year_resolutions_08122006

19 Defra (2005) The Validity of Food Miles as an Indicator of Sustainable Development: Final report, Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs.

20 Soil Association (2006) Organic Market Report 2006, Executive Summary, Soil Association, Bristol.

21 Whitehead, R. (1999) UK Pesticide Guide, British Crop Protection Council, CABI Publishing, Cambridge.

22 World Health Organisation (1990) The Public Health Impact of Pesticides Used in Agriculture, WHO, Geneva

23 Pesticide Action Network UK (2007) Pesticides on a Plate, A consumer guide to pesticide issues in the food chain, PAN UK, London

24 Sustain (2003) Myth and Reality, Organic vs. non-organic: the facts, Sustain, London.

25 Francis, C. A. & Clegg, M. D. (1990) Crop Rotations in Sustainable Production Systems, Sustainable Agriculture Systems 107-122

26 International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (1998) Basic Standards for Organic Production and Processing, IFOAM, Germany

27 Soil Association (2006) How does organic farming benefit wildlife? Soil Association 2006.

28 Spencer, J. & Kirby, K. (1992) An inventory of ancient woodland for England and Wales, Biological Conservation 62, 77-93.

29 IFOAM (2003) Organic Agriculture and Biodiversity information sheet, International Federation of Organic Agriculture and Management.

30 Hole, A. G., Perkins, A. J., Wilson, J. D., Alexander, I. H., Grice, P. V., Evans, A. D. (2005) Does Organic Farming Benefit Biodiversity? Biological Conservation, 122, 113-130.

31 Worthington V. Nutritional quality of organic versus conventional fruits, vegetables, and grains. Journal of Complimentary Medicine 2001; 7 No. 2: 161-173

32 Soil Association, 2008: http://tinyurl.com/3aye3g

33 Gundual Azeez, Policy Manager, Soil Association, Personal Communication 01/2008.

34 Soil Association, 2007: http://tinyurl.com/3e3fby

35 Food and Agriculture Organisation, Food Safety & Quality as Affected by Organic Farming, Report of the 22nd regional conference for Europe, Portugal, 24-28 July 2000.

36 FAO (1997) The State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Rome.

37 Shiva, V. & Gitanjali, B. (2002) Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security, The Impact of globalisation, Sage Publications, London.

38 Soil Association (2006) Organic Works Report: An investigation into employment on organic farms conducted by University of Essex 2005.

39 ISEC (2002) Bringing the Food Economy Home: Local Alternatives to Global Agribusiness, Zed Books, London.


To see the original visit the Ecologist website

The trend is sufficient to cause Monty Don, in his new role of President of the Soil Association, to suggest, in The Guardian last week, that the term 'organic' should be replaced by 'sustainable'. Monty reckons this comes with less baggage and would be less bureaucratic thus encouraging more people to continue to choose such products. What do you think? Please leave your comments on the EJ Forum . . .

Meanwhile, of course, the case for organic food production is stronger than ever. The Ecologist magazine (EJ Member) has published a really comprehensive article outlining the full facts. Please take a look at the article
which we have reproduced with The Ecologist's kind permission.

And EJ members are keeping up their activity. We've assembled a collection of information and invite you to have a read . . .

In December 2007 the Federal Hygienic Department of Voralberg, Austria carried out a comprehensive series of tests to determine the effectiveness of the ENJO cleaning range.  It found that ENJO's ground breaking microfibre technology was up to 6.5 times better than traditional, chemical based, cleaning methods.  So if you want to reduce your chemical footprint and protect your family from harmful bacteria check out the ENJO range now.

Straw Bale Building and Lime & Clay Plastering Courses

13th, 14th 15th September 2008 - Straw Bale Building
16th, 17th, 18th, 19th September 2008 - Lime & Clay Plastering
20th, 21st September 2008 - Lime & Clay Plastering

Join the Amazonails team (Grand designs Eco Home Award) to help
build and plaster a new strawbale library extension to Shelf Village
Hall, Halifax. This build is the first of its kind in this area and
will be a unique type of loadbearing structure with a roof that lowers
down to create compression! These courses are intended for people of
all experience and abilities, and you will receive full training on
site for each of the courses, as well as receiving Health and Safety
and tool use training. Learn and have fun on this exciting build where
you will be helping to construct a much needed public facility for the
people of Shelf!For full details visit the Amazonails website

The range includes gorgeous items made from pure New Zealand organic mountainsilk. Organic mountain silk is made from supersoft and superfine merino fibres which are perfect for transition and winter.

Viva launch veggie month

During September, we will be giving millions more people a gentle shove down the wonderful road of healthier, cruelty-free, environment-saving, people-protecting veggie living! We have the inspirational materials but we need your help to get the message out there to the people who can really make a difference - meat eaters.

This year we are determined to expose the role the meat and dairy
industry has in the destruction of biodiversity. You might ask: what
has eating a burger got to do with killing monkeys? The answer is lots!
Animal agriculture tops the list for making wildlife and plants extinct
- it is also number one cause for the destruction of the rainforests
and destroying the habitat wild animals need to survive. The reality is
that by going veggie, you not only save the lives of 11,047 animals in
a lifetime (by simply not eating them) you also save a whole jungle's
worth of wild animals, too! We have produced brand new materials to
take this very important issue to the public. Read more about the
issues here.

Recent increases in the cost of petrol and diesel have prompted a 12 per cent reduction in congestion on British motorways, and despite a slowdown in the number of new cars being sold the overall number of cars in Britain is increasing.

Director at the Environmental Transport Association, Andrew Davis said: "Congestion might be down, but it is wrong to assume that it is simply because there is less traffic - when cars on motorways are driven carefully they not only produce less harmful emissions, they cause less congestion."

"The fact that the most impressive recent drop in congestion has been on a section of the M25 that does not yet have the highly effective variable speed limits that are in place elsewhere on the motorway, illustrates the gains to be made by a self-imposed careful driving style."

The ETA believes that increased fuel prices, revised rates of emissions-based vehicle excise duty and an increasing awareness of environmental issues is having an effect on our driving habits, but in the longer term, unless drivers 'pay as they go' reduced congestion on major roads will attract additional traffic.

What is 'careful driving'?
Motorists can reduce their car's emissions, the amount they spend on fuel and levels of congestion by taking the two following steps:

Slow down
Reducing your speed from 70mph to 60mph will not dramatically add to your journey time but it reduces emissions and could save 20 per cent of your fuel bills.

Do not tailgate
Driving too close to the car in front is dangerous and inevitably causes a concertina effect which slows following traffic and can even bring it to a complete standstill.

360^o will include a day of workshops and talks at 100% Design in London
(Friday 19th Sept), a one-day conference at the University of Brighton
(Saturday 20th September), and an optional tour of eco-architecture
sites around Kent and Sussex (Sunday 21st September).

The conference brings together international design and architecture
educators in sustainable design education; practitioners interested in
higher education and continuing professional development (CPD) in
sustainable design, and students of design.

360^o forms part of the work of DEEDS (Design Education for Sustainability), an EU-funded project that aims to integrate sustainability into mainstream design
education and practice across Europe by providing new educational models and tools.

For more information visit the Conference Website

Described as a ‘one man cultural revolution' Philip Ridley started his own theatre company as a student but describes  himself as a storyteller. Ridley has written five stage plays for young people; ‘Karamazoo', ‘Moonfleece',  ‘Sparkleshark',  ‘Brokenville' and ‘Fairytaleheart'. Calypso's Irish production  is a collaboration between the professional theatre company and Tower of Babel, an interculural youth theatre group founded by Calypso in 2001.

‘Fairytaleheart' tells of two troubled teenagers in a run down
community hall who escape into a world of fantasy to get away from
their complicated lives. Krysia, a Polish girl, is running away from
home because she can't accept her father's relationship with a new
woman so soon after her mother's death. Gideon has spent his life
living in a series of squats and caravans with his single mother. When
Krysia meets Gideon he is painting a fairytale backdrop on the
candle-lit stage of the hall in the hope that it will transform the
drab and dreary place into a magical theatre. ‘Fairytaleheart' is a
celebration of first love and the power of the imagination to create an
alternate universe.  

The production features professional actor Keith Burke ‘Love is
the Drug' (TV), ‘Fair City' (TV), ‘Boy Eats Girl' (Film), ‘Macbeth'
(Theatre), ‘The Secret Garden' (Theatre) and Joanna Sieracka a young
Polish actor and member of Tower of Babel in the roles of Gideon and
Krysia (orginally Kirsty). Joanna recently featured in a Tall Tales
production of ‘Foreign Affairs' and is a member of the Surya Theatre in
Jawor, Poland.

Project Arts Centre, Temple Bar

Previews: Monday 1st September 8.15pm

Opens: Tuesday 2nd September 8.15pm

Nightly: Wednesday 3rd - Saturday 6th September 8.15pm

‘Fairytaleheart' will also be touring Kosovo and Macaedonia between 10th - 17th September, supported by Culutre Ireland

For Further Information Contact: Claire McEwen, Producer on 01 679 2236/087 954 1026/claire@calypso.ie
www.calypso.ie

The suggested donation level is: £75 for a single Will, £110 for a pair
of matching or 'mirror' Wills, or £40 for a change or codicil to an
existing will. This provides a fantastic opportunity for people to put their affairs in order and help others at the same time.

Will Aid is supported by TV celebrity, Graham Norton. He says,

"The
only way to ensure the people you love are provided for when you die is
to have a proper Will. Living together, even for years and years, gives
you no inheritance rights and if one partner dies without a Will, the
other may be left with nothing - not even the shared home. Even married
couples and civil partners are vulnerable. If there isn't a Will, the
surviving partner may only inherit a proportion of the estate. So don't
tempt fate - make a Will with Will Aid in November."

Making a
Will and keeping it up-to-date is an important way of protecting family
and loved ones in the future. This year, people should take advantage
of Will Aid to review their arrangements, especially since the
Chancellor announced changes to the Inheritance Tax ("IHT") rules.
These changes, which were incorporated in this year's Budget, should
reduce the tax burden on married and civil partnership couples or at
least enable many Wills to be simplified, bringing more within the
scope of a Will Aid basic Will.

Will Aid solicitor David Sinclair says, "Will
Aid is a great campaign and one I am proud to be a part of. It provides
you with an excellent opportunity to either make a Will for the first
time or amend your existing Will in light of these changes. Most
importantly the donation for making or amending your Will goes to the
Will Aid charities."

Since its launch in 1988, the scheme has
raised almost £7m in donations and very much more in legacies. The
money raised is shared between the participating charities: ActionAid,
British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Help the Aged, NSPCC, Save the
Children UK, Sight Savers International, SCIAF and Trocaire.

In
the last campaign, more than 7,000 people were motivated to make their
Will with Will Aid and they donated almost £700,000 for the Will Aid
charities. They also pledged millions more in legacies to the Will Aid
charities and other causes.

Make your Will with a Will Aid
solicitor this November, and make a real difference to people in need
in the UK and around the world, helping to transform the lives of
children, families, elderly people and whole communities. Take the
opportunity to leave a legacy to your favourite charity and you will be
ensuring their good work can continue for years to come. And, most
importantly, you will be ensuring the security of your own loved ones.

Prospective
will-makers can find a convenient participating solicitor by using the
Find a Solicitor function on the Will Aid website www.willaid.org.uk or
by contacting the hotline 0300 0300 013. They can then make their
appointment by email or telephone.

A Schumacher College course

It is about providing participants with the opportunity to develop
practical ideas for their own organisation, within an exceptionally
rich educational environment, with the articulation and creativity that
it requires to lead substantial change back in the work place.

This course is facilitated by and run in association with CarbonSense.

Teachers
Allan
Jones is CEO of the London Climate Change Agency. He previously worked
for Woking Borough Council, reducing CO2 emissions by 77.5% from 1990
levels.

Gaynor Coley is Managing Director and Deputy CEO of the Eden Project.

Nick Robins is Head of HSBC's Climate Change Centre of Excellence.

Paul Dickinson is CEO and Founder of the Carbon Disclosure Project.


For further information on our courses, please see our website:

www.schumachercollege.org.uk

+44 (0) 1803 865 934
admin@schumachercollege.org.uk

A Schumacher College course
October 14-17, 2008

The sessions utilise Shakespeare's timeless play ‘As You Like It'.
Participants will explore for themselves a fascinating journey of
renewal, philosophical thinking, creative expression and new
possibilities, an invaluable process for leaders in sustainability.

Teacher:
Richard Olivier is Artistic Director of Olivier Mythodrama. He is at
the leading edge of bringing the world of theatre into the development
of authentic leaders. From 1999-2005 he was the Master of Mythodrama at
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

For further information on our courses, please see our website:

www.schumachercollege.org.uk

+44 (0) 1803 865 934
admin@schumachercollege.org.uk