The Rural Voice, 1979-01, Page 16to be withdrawn from the market.
No one will contend that everyone must be allowed to put any
kind of poison on the market, just because it creates a profit for
the farmer, or provides an economic boom for manufacturer or
for labor, but to ban everything unless it is, proven not to be
harmful or poisonous is a different story.
William Tucker, science writer for "Harper's Magazine,"
reports on the tribulations of an "organic" vitamin company,
named, "Nutrilite". This outfit refused, out of a moral
conviction, to use chemical pesticides, when the alfalfa from
whence came these vitamins, was attacked by aphids. So they
spread a naturally occuring fungus across their alfalfa fields, and
voila, the aphids died.
A couple of years later, their fields were the target of a
caterpiller. Again they refused to use chemicals and used a
bactria instead. Again it worked and the foes of chemical
pesticides rejoiced. Understandably. Nutri lite wanted to share
its discovery with the world and, presumably, make some profit.
So it was registered for use on one vegetable. (A U.S. regulation
demands a new test for each vegetable or plant that a pesticide is
used on).
The company was small, so at a cost of $300,000 per test, they
went slowly, but Rachel Carson was elated. Here was proof of
her contention that biologicals could replace chemicals. The
company expanded its research, full of confidence that many
chemicals could be replaced.
E.P.A. Set Up
Then, in 1972, as a result of several pressure groups, the
"Environmental Protection Agency" was established A field day
for far-out environmentalists and bureaucrats developed. First
they decreed that no bacteria and viruses were to be used until
extensive testing had been done. No more "DDT effects" was
the motto. What was already licenced must be retested, and
what was in the testing stage had to be retested much more
stringently.
The result was the cost of each test rose to often prohibitive
levels. Then, only after the biological controls and passed the lab
test, could a company begin experimenting on plants. The cost
rose to $200,000 for the testing and an additional $500,000 for
registration for each insect on each separate crop.
The Nutrilite company threw up its hands in despair and
stopped all work on further biological pesticide developments. So
much for the effectiveness of so-called environmental groups.
Wouldn't Pay
If there would be a large market for the biologicals the expense
of up to a million dollars for experimenting and testing would be
justified, but for small crops, such as most vegetables, it
wouldn't pay. While there are hundreds of biologicals in the
laboratories, ready for testing, no company is going to spend
millions of dollars with such odds as the EPA against it.
Numerous amateurist environmentalists have put so much
pressure on governments, that the measures taken against a
recurrence of the unlimited use of DDT are now applied against
the very substances that are advocated to replaced them.
From time to time we read in the press about a new anti -sex
hormone for use on insects. These are selective only for the
species of insect they are designed for, and thus couldn't
possibly be a hazard to any other living organism. These
biological solutions to insect problems were the very ones that
Rachel Carson was excited about, but thus far none has been
licensed for general use because of the earlier mentioned costs.
Nature too develops its own defense against insects and fungi
and for that reason some plant species are attached while others
are left alone.
Marigolds
It is well known for instance, that Marigolds in the garden,
growing alongside some other plants, protect these plants to
some extend from certain insects. The beetle that attacks the
Elm tree doesn't attack other plants.
PG. 16 THE RURAL VOICE/JANUARY 1979
VISTA
VILLA FARMS
Wishes You A
Merry Christmas
We appreciate the confidence you
have shown in our hogs. We hope
that you are well pleased with
our Hampshires & Yorkshires.
We wish you a Happy &
Prosperous New Year and
hope that we may serve you
to greater Prosperity.
ROBERT J. ROBINSON
& FAMILY
345-2317
RR 4 Walton, Ont. NOK izo