A world of finite and diminishing resources

1
A world of finite and diminishing resources

• there can be no doubt that the state of our
  planet's environment, the health, the economic
  and social plight of peoples in all parts of the
  world is far more parlous than it was when IFOAM
  was founded.
• Major changes to current practice in the areas of
  population control, reduction in industrial
  output and the intensive development and
  application of technology for pollution
  abatement, improved land yield, soil protection
  and resource conservation would need to be
  implemented before 2015 to avoid a structural
  breakdown in the global economy around the
  mid-century. (Meadows et al 1992).

2
(No Transcript)
3
The code that almost no one cracked
4
Its not just oil

• Food
• - strategic reserves low
• Water
• - shortages world wide including
• bread basket areas
• Soil
• - erosion and salination at
• unprecedented levels

5
Global warming is happening

• The last decade was the warmest on record
• Extreme Weather Events are occurring on an
  unprecedented scale
• The polar icecaps are thinning at an
  unprecedented rate
• Coral reefs are dying at an unprecedented rate
• CO2 emissions in the atmosphere at the highest
  levels ever recorded

6
Global heating, like a fire is accelerating and
there is almost no time left to act..

• IPCC says we need an immediate 40 reduction in
  climate relevant emissions to stabilise global
  warming
• Which will stop the global growth economy dead in
  its tracks

7
The Revenge of Gaia

• That is why it is much too late for sustainable
  development what we need is a sustainable
  retreat.

8
The Organic Failure ?

• Twenty seven years on and no-one who is a serious
  player on the worlds stage believes that organic
  farming has anything to do with or anything to
  really contribute to solving these problems.
  James Lovelock makes a brief and scathing
  reference to it that other prominent
  environmentalist, Jonathon Porritt in his recent
  book, does not even mention it.
• Yes we have government and an EU regulation and
  even action plans but they largely deal with
  trade and labelling. But is organic farming a
  basic part of health care, of food and
  nutritional policy, of third world aid,
  veterinary medicine, education? Is it an
  organising principle of commerce and trade? Is it
  a basis of social organisation? No it is not. It
  was even a struggle to get it recognised by
  conservation bodies as important.

9
Are we lost?

• My vision
• Implementing throughout the world the principles
  and characteristics of genuine organic farming is
  the best way to respond to the environmental,
  economic and social collapse of which this planet
  is on the brink.
• Indeed it as the responsibility of the
  international organic movement to initiate and
  carry through that response. That is the legacy,
  our gift to the world.

10
What to do?

• Build properly (not just lip service) on the
  restated principles
• Establish a coherent movement at all levels
  farm, industry, research, policy and government
• Be coherent about our concepts and world view and
  confident in arguing for them.
• Reform the organic movement beggar my
  neighbour marketing is failure certification is
  not enough
• Work at all levels to make organic systems what
  we claim they are

11
How?

• Create a ginger group or task force to move
  things forward
• Use research opportunities to create new
  partnerships and platforms
• Involve committed industry players
• Revive and engage producer movements where
  possible
• Have faith, hope and clarity