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July 01, 2008

Food Scare Hits Home-Grown Veggies

Rice crops wiped out around the world. Grain crops wiped out and/or redirected to fuel production. Floods in grain and pork country. Dangerous tomatoes. Corn shortages. On and on it goes. Thinking about doing a backyard garden? People in the UK who have done that are now being warned not to eat their produce because the natural fertiziler they used, it turns out, has been contaminated by dangerous chemicals.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has been inundated with calls from concerned gardeners who have seen potatoes, beans, peas, carrots and salad vegetables wither or become grossly deformed. The society admitted that it had no idea of the extent of the problem, but said it appeared 'significant'. The affected gardens and allotments have been contaminated by manure originating from farms where the hormone-based herbicide aminopyralid has been sprayed on fields...

Problems with the herbicide emerged late last year, when some commercial potato growers reported damaged crops. In response, Dow launched a campaign within the agriculture industry to ensure that farmers were aware of how the products should be used. Nevertheless, the herbicide has now entered the food chain. Those affected are demanding an investigation and a ban on the product. They say they have been given no definitive answer as to whether other produce on their gardens and allotments is safe to eat.

It appears that the contamination came from grass treated 12 months ago. Experts say the grass was probably made into silage, then fed to cattle during the winter months. The herbicide remained present in the silage, passed through the animal and into manure that was later sold. Horses fed on hay that had been treated could also be a channel.

With bees in jeopardy and increasing weather disasters affecting food crops around the world, it would seem people would have sat up and taken notice already. But I suppose our bellies are still full, and only when sudden disaster hits us and it is too late will we finally agree we need to do things differently.

Posted by Becky at July 1, 2008 12:04 PM