Most Chemicals have not Been Tested for Safety

Cancer Pesticide Link - US President's Cancer Panel Report

Critical Issues around Chemicals Raised by the Report

Most Chemicals have not Been Tested for Safety 'Only a few hundred of the more than 80,000 chemicals in use in the United States have been tested for safety.'

Pesticides Linked to Many Types of Cancers
'Nearly 1,400 pesticides have been registered (i.e., approved) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for agricultural and non-agricultural use. Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to brain/central nervous system (CNS), breast, colon, lung, ovarian (female spouses), pancreatic, kidney, testicular, and stomach cancers, as well as Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and soft tissue sarcoma. Pesticide-exposed farmers, pesticide applicators, crop duster pilots, and manufacturers also have been found to have elevated rates of prostate cancer, melanoma, other skin cancers, and cancer of the lip.

'Approximately 40 chemicals classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as known, probable, or possible human carcinogens, are used in EPA-registered pesticides now on the market.'


Read more here

• Organic Federation of Australia
  

• May 10, 2010 - Cancer Pesticide Link – US President's Cancer Panel Report

Organic systems producing higher yields

Press release from Organic Federation of Australia.
From the desk of:
Andre Leu, Chairman

Four recent credible studies show organic systems producing higher yields

"Best practice organic agriculture can get better yields than conventional agriculture. Four recent credible studies show organic systems producing higher yields, particularly in the drier years that are predicted to increase with climate change." stated Andre Leu, Chair of the Organic Federation of Australia.

• United Nations Study - organic agriculture increased yields by 116%
  The report by the United National Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) found that organic agriculture increases yields in Africa. '...the average crop yield was ... 116 per cent increase for all African projects and 128 per cent increase for the projects in East Africa.' Read more.
  
  
• The Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trials.
  The Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trials found that organic yields were higher in drought years and the same as conventional in normal weather years. Read more.
  
  
• Scientific Review by Cornell University into 22 year-long Rodale Field Study
  The scientific review found:
  
  • 1. The improved soil allowed the organic land to generate yields equal to or greater than the conventional crops after five years. Read More
  
  
• US Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Pecan Trial
  
  • The ARS organically managed Pecans out yielded the conventionally managed, chemically ferilized orchard in each of the past five years Read more
    
    
    
    
    The Organic Federation of Australia is the peak body and the largest representative organic organisation in Australia. For further information please visit www.ofa.org.au
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

MEDIA RELEASE

72% of Consumers want one Organic Symbol

72% of organic food buyers say they would prefer to have one, new certification symbol used by all organisations, compared with only 14% who prefer to continue with different certification symbols.
The research conducted by Newspoll found that changing to one, new certification symbol is generally viewed as easier, clearer and less confusing. Having one symbol is also viewed as being easier to recognise and remember, and as having a clearer and stronger meaning. Some also saw it as providing confirmation of uniformity in certification procedures by certification organisations.
The Newspoll was commissioned by the Organic Federation of Australia, the peak body for the organic sector and was conducted nationally among main grocery buyers.
Regular organic food buyers were asked to rate the current system of having eight different certification symbols on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is "very confusing and hard to identify organic foods" and 10 is "very clear and simple to identify organic foods".
Their average rating was only 3.1 out of 10, which shows that the current system is seen as confusing.
‘The research showed very poor awareness of most of the certification symbols and that the words
"Certified Organic" were important in guiding consumer awareness about genuine organic products.’ Andre Leu, Chair of the Organic Federation stated
‘The experience from around the world shows that having one symbol to identify organic products generates a huge increase in sales.’ Andre said
The survey was conducted among 966 main grocery buyers nationally aged 18 years and over.


The Organic Federation of Australia is the peak body and the largest representative organic organisation in Australia. For further information please visit www.ofa.org.au