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A push for safe and clean food in Asian countries and China in particular, sees Chinese agents actively seeking organic producers in Australia for large volume and immediate orders; and could lead to a collaborative Chinese-Australian approach to biological farm training, says Craig Sobey, Chairman of the Central Victorian Organic Network (CVON).
Mr. Sobey said while China is set to boom, farming remains central to their way of life in many provinces.

He says there is now strong government support for the development of biological farming systems that reduce the plaguing effects of chemical use, such as contaminated water and that Australia is seen by Chinese consumers as the a benchmark in the production of ‘safe food.’

“All our overseas marketing excursions have shown us that Australian produce in the eyes of an Asian consumer, is like the Volvo of food – there is absolute recognition of its safety,” he said.

“Asian pacific countries are very concerned about the potential of an unreliable food chain and risks this poses for their children. That’s driving up demand for products like Australian organic, but it’s also driving the need for a collaborated information network.” 

Mr. Sobey said though it was in its early infancy, there were plans underway for a project that could see Chinese agricultural students study biological systems in Australia.

“The Chinese government has released a tender for the delivery of the biological training for farmers. They are actively seeking people to train for biological farming. We are looking to work with them here in Australia and have already had some strong interest from Northern Victorian shires to initiate a ‘friendship agreement’ with specific Chinese provinces, such as Yunnan (the location of the large Yunnan Agricultural University). 

Under such a scheme, Chinese agricultural students would come to Australia to learn how to farm under Australian organic standards, and then return to farm in China.
Mr. Sobey says it provided an opportunity to create key networks in a valuable future market at its outset. 

“Australia has been developing its organic standards for years and has an important role to play in mentoring biological farmers in the Asia pacific,” he said.

Recent independent findings of higher than acceptable pesticide residues in strawberries from conventional farms (Choice magazine, February 2008) highlight the potential for chemical abuse in all produce. ‘Chemical cocktail’ mixes are shown to be of particular concern for parents and growing healthy crop plants, warns Australia’s largest organic representative group, Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA).

Choice magazine's independent research found from conventional strawberry samples, three contained pesticide residues at levels above the acceptable MRL's (maximum residue levels), three had pesticides that regulations don't allow, two contained more fungicide than is acceptable under stringent EU regulations, and seventeen strawberries had combination residues of more than one pesticide.

Out of four organic samples tested, one contained fungicide residues at less than 1% of the MRL. Researchers state this may have come from chemical spray drift.

Their conclusion? "If you want to minimise your family's exposure to pesticides, organic is the way to go. Tests have repeatedly found lower levels of pesticide residues in organic produce."

Soil health technician and BFA spokesperson, Mr Greg Paynter, says the mixed use of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, and fungicides weaken crops in the long-term when applied in un-tested combinations at the discretion of farmers.

“Excessive reside levels are a problem – but what may be more concerning and is also carried through to the end consumer, are the unknown effects of blends of different types of synthetic farming inputs. The toxic permutation that occurs as a result is unidentified and untested with regards to human or eco-health, because standard practise is to test a chemical product in isolation,” says Mr. Paynter.

Adverse affects on health from low doses of agricultural chemical combinations have been recorded in the past, with a particularly negative response from tested animals in the pairing of Atrazine – a herbicide widely used on maize and sorghum - with nitrate fertilizer.

Mr. Paynter said chemical mixes damage a crop’s ability to respond naturally to growth obstacles, and often lead to changes in plant metabolism, physiology, chemical composition and nutritional patterns.

“Plants which take up one particular pesticide will then inevitably be exposed to other environmental problems with a weakened natural defence system. A farmer who began using one type of pesticide may be forced to apply an additional herbicide, and then another type of pesticide to compensate for a vulnerable crop (for example),” he says.

“Organic growers, in comparison, tend to utilise the design of ecosystem services to replace the use of synthetic inputs in their farming practice.”

There are around 8,700 registered agricultural and veterinary products used in Australia, a number subject to fluctuation daily.

Children are the other party most susceptible to high toxicity levels from chemical blends, according to BFA Nutritionist Shane Heaton. “Children are more vulnerable to food toxins than adults – they have a larger intake of food per kilo of body weight than adults, and immature organs and detoxification and immune systems,” he says.

According to the 20th Australian total diet survey in 2003, dietary exposure to pesticide residues is highest for the toddler age group. Mr. Heaton said pesticides had proven effects on developing cognitive systems.

Adding to this he says “A study in South America showed impaired cognitive ability in children (aged four and five) from a village that routinely used farm pesticides – they had a lower capacity for things like hand-eye co-ordination and short term memory, and less ability for play-based learning tasks like drawing a recognisable person, or catching a ball.” 

Mr Heaton said concerned parents could opt for organic to reduce their child’s exposure to chemicals - children eating a predominantly organic diet have been proven to have less (one-sixth) the level of pesticide metabolite in their urine than those who don’t.

“At the end of the day it’s about peace of mind in parenting – organic choices reduce transferred chemical risk from ‘uncertain’ to negligible,” he says.

Want to know more about the independent Choice magazine study? Go to http://www.choice.com.au/viewArticle.aspx?id=106157&catId=100286&tid=100008

Wine industry bodies in California, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand have developed the International Wine Industry Greenhouse Gas Accounting Protocol, to be launched this month.

It is designed to help the wine industry prepare for new environmental regulations that may require carbon accounting, as well as help them gain access to retailers increasingly interested in including carbon footprint information on products.

Carbon emissions from the entire wine lifecycle will be accounted for, including emissions associated with purchased energy and the manufacture of fertilisers and packaging material.

Australian organic wine producer, Sam Statham, says the concept of carbon labelling is inherently tied to organic viticulture.

“It’s all about environmental management systems and I do think organic will emerge with an advantage,” he says.

“We are waiting for confirmed information from the Wine Federation of Australia (WFA) as to the direction and nature carbon labelling will take, and clarification on things like accounting for soil carbon storage.”  

 “As organic producers, we’d be very interested in using carbon labelling as a major part of our marketing.”

Doug Young, Policy Director with the Winemakers Federation of Australia, says the WFA are working with the Wine Institute of California, NZ Winegrowers and Integrated Production of Wine South Africa to develop an international greenhouse gas accounting protocol and calculator, but that the development of a carbon label for use on wine was not an immediate priority for the international wine industry consortium.

He says measuring Greenhouse Gases is progressing.

“Version 1.1 of the Protocol and calculator were released on Feb 1 2008, with a view to a more sophisticated online calculator, suitable for third party verification, to be developed in the future. The protocol and calculator are based on a streamlined life cycle assessment, using the Wine Research Institute’s Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the draft PAS 2050,” he says.

The wine industry is acutely aware of pressure mounting on all food and drink providers to provide retailers with information on their products' carbon footprint, with several carbon footprint labelling schemes being trialled worldwide.

Mr. Statham said it could be convenient to someday have carbon labelling as a separate part of the organic certification process, should producers desire it. 

The WFA’s latest information on how carbon might be measured – with the Carbon Footprint Protocol and Calculation Tool can be found at http://www.wfa.org.au/environment.htm.

Blue Smarties are back with strong demand for ‘healthy confectionary’
Following this years’ International Sweets and Biscuits Fair (ISM) from the 27th – 31st January in Cologne, Germany, Australian exhibitors report a noticeable increase in interest in treats that are good for more than the sweet tooth.

“There is a noticeable trend towards healthier confectionary. Natural and organic products are receiving a lot of international attention,” says Trish Hyde, CEO of Confectionary  Manufacturers of Australasia.

Rebecca Zehnwirth from Vitality Brands has a range of Australian Certified Organic confectionary products and agrees most interest comes from overseas.

“The export (primarily European) market is more willing to pay a slight premium for organic and have a real focus on healthy snack foods and sugar free products. Our 100% organic Australia chocolate blocks and newly launched ‘AntiOx Shots’ – with a daily shot of antioxidants , draw a lot of interest. People who buy organic chocolate tend to be interested in three things – taste, quality and social responsibility.’

Mintel's Global New Products Database (GNPD) found that more than a thousand new food products claiming to be additive- and preservative-free were launched in the UK last year as consumers look for variations on additive filled originals.

Confectionary giants have not escaped the pressure. In perfect proof-of-point, Nestle this week announced the re-release of their blue smartie, which was pulled from their product range two years ago in response to concerns over the link between artificial additives and hyperactivity. 

The smartie will now be coloured with what Nestle claims is an all natural colouring derived from seaweed.   The solution is called Spirulina, and is produced from two species of cyanobacteria (blue-green lake algae). Nestle has not commented on how the colour will be developed, or who will supply it.

The move  is a demonstration of the strength of health conscious demand for natural products from consumers.

Australian Certified Organic representatives say that “under organic standards, using the term ‘natural’ would mean the extraction process and source would also have to be natural. This is not necessarily the case with conventional products,” they said.

“Assurance would also be needed to ensure a risk management strategy was used to minimize environmental contamination.” 

News Item Source Food Production Daily Online: http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?n=83156-nestle-rowntree-spirulina-artificial-colourings  

Macadamias are good for the heart, regulate cholesterol levels, are high in antioxidants like vitamin E, A1 and B, high in iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium, have a flavour rich enough to ensure them a place in the most delectable of dishes, and are the only Australian native plant crop that has been developed commercially as a food. 

According to the Australian Macadamia Society, it is believed that long before Australia was mapped by European explorers, Aboriginal people would congregate on the eastern slopes of Australia's Great Dividing Range to feed on what they knew as 'Kindal Kindal'.

In the 1850's these trees were noticed by a British botanist Ferdinand Von Meuller and Walter Hill, who were struck with the beauty of the specimens growing in the rain forests of Queensland. A distinction was made between Macadamia integrifolia (smooth shelled) and Macadamia tetraphylla (rough shelled) which also produces a nut that is edible, although not as good for roasting. The genus Macadamia was named after a prominent scientist of that time, Dr John McAdam.

Macadamia are a versatile cooking ingredient with a rich flavour and crunchy texture that is great in biscuits, muffins, cakes and savoury dishes. They work in salads, pesto and stir-fries, can replace peanuts in many dishes, are a treat in sauces and butter, and can be used to coat and crumb fish and chicken.  

The oil is excellent for cooking and as massage oil.

Production is centred in Northern New South Wales and South Eastern Queensland – due to rich soils and a tendency towards higher annual rainfall.

Australian Certified Organic macadamia growers Cath and Chris Ford grow 7000 mixed organic macadamia trees and 12, 500 organic coffee bushes on their property near Byron Bay (NSW). The property had previously grown macadamia and tropical fruit under a conventional farm system.

Cath says the three year transition to organic was ‘hectic’ due to necessary major changes to rid the farm of synthetic chemicals and move to organic compost and keeping ‘detailed records,’ but that it was paying off.

According to Organic Gardener, their organic macadamias are currently selling at a price almost double that of conventional.

(Source: Health Nut, Organic Gardner, March/ April 2008 and Australian Macadamia Society http://macadamias.org/)
 

Pumpkin and macadamia soup
Serves four to six.
 1 tablespoon macadamia or olive oil
 1/2 cup roughly chopped macadamias
 1 small white onion
 1 teaspoon grated ginger
 3 cups diced pumpkin
 1 apple, chopped
 3 cups chicken stock
 Natural yoghurt for serving
 Whole or halved macadamias, roasted for garnish
Heat oil in a heavy based pan, add the macadamias, onion and ginger and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the pumpkin and apple and cook 2-3 minutes then pour over the stock. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is soft. Transfer mixture to a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Serve in large bowls with a swirl of yoghurt and a few roasted macadamias tossed over for garnish.

Recipe from Australian Macadamia Society http://macadamias.org/ 

To complete your organic advantage:

Two Priests

Two priests decided to go to Hawaii on vacation. They were determined to make this a real vacation escape by not wearing  anything that would identify them as clergy.

As soon as the plane landed they headed for a store and bought some outrageous shorts, shirts and sandals. The next morning they went to the  beach dressed in their tourist garb. They were sitting on beach chairs, enjoying a drink, the sunshine and the scenery, when a drop-dead gorgeous blonde wearing a string bikini came walking straight towards them. They couldn't help but stare.

As the blonde passed them she smiled and said, "Good Morning, Father. Good Morning, Father," nodding and addressing each of them individually; then she passed on by. They were both stunned. How in the world did she know they were priests?

So the next day, they went back to the store and bought even more outrageous outfits. These were so loud you could hear them before you saw them.
                                                                          
Once again, in their new attire, they settled on the beach in their chairs to enjoy the sunshine. After a while, the same gorgeous blonde, this time topless with just a thong bikini, taking her sweet time, came walking toward them. Again she  nodded at each of them, she said, "Good  morning, Father. Good morning, Father," and started to walk away. One of the priests couldn't stand it any longer and said, "Just a minute young lady." "Yes, Father?", she said.

"We are priests and proud of it, but I have to know, how in the world did you know we are priests dressed as we are?"

"Father, it's Sister Margaret."

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