Australia's first conference concerning food and the environment.

It was well attended by leading health policy makers from around Australia and internationally including academics and Federal, State and Local Government representatives. Industry representatives also attended from organisations such as the Australian Food Council and Kellogs. Dick Copeman attended representing the Consumer Food Network and Matt O'Neill attended representing the Australian Consumers Association. Rosemary Stanton was one of many nutritionists attending. Brendan Hoare, President of the Soil & Health Association in New Zealand also attended. Professor Tim Lang the Director of the Centre for Food Policy at Thames Valley University in London was an inspiring key note speaker.

A number of themes were at the forefront of this conference. Before I begin to report these themes I would like to point out that none of the concerns regarding the environment are new for organic farmers. Organic farmers have largely been involved in their endeavours because of such concerns well espoused by environmentalists for at least the last two decades. What is refreshing is seeing consensus form among both health policy makers along with nutritionists and organic farmers about the solutions to problems facing food, our health and the environment.

1.
The globalisation of the world food trade has reached a stage of rapidly concentrating power that is alarming policy makers around the world. Large food companies are merging together creating massive companies, "bottom line" driven with negative social, health and environmental consequences. In the UK 1000 super stores provide food to 70% of the population of 57 million people.

These people are travelling further to do their shopping (negative effect on the environment). They then shop in stores where they do not know the shopkeeper (social isolation occurs). In addition the food sold is travelling 30% more miles per tonne than 15 years ago (bad for the environment again).

The food that is sold is largely processed (85%) due to massive advertising budgets which affects our health in terms of lifestyle diseases which are on the rise. Cancer and cardiovascular diseases are massive killers between the ages of 40 and 70. There is an alarming and increasing amount of food grown in the third world to feed cattle in Europe which is crazy given the health statistics in these countries and the C02 produced.

Another side effect of the globalisation of food is falling commodity prices which puts pressure on farmers with devastating consequences for the environment and rural communities. Small farmers are leaving the land, and corporate farmers taking over with little regard for the long-term health of the soil.

Monoculture as an increasingly preferred method of production is having a serious effect on biodiversity, also with serious consequences for our health. Many studies have shown that eating a wide range of foods is essential to good health. We are losing species at an alarming rate. It will impact on our ability to eat well.

2.
The Environment was a major concern with the following points made:

• Residues from chemical farming are having an effect on the environment and the health of consumers and those farm workers who use the chemicals.
• Global warming is likely to cause rises in sea levels, which will likely reduce the land available for growing of food.
• Urbanisation is causing a loss of land available for growing of food.
• Loss of biodiversity will have a big effect next century.

3.
Genetically engineered foods were discussed as a major issue with the following points made:

The move to genetically engineer foods was not a new method of food production but rather a new type of manipulation of plant breeding which allowed unique crossing of species boundaries never before possible.

There was concern for the environment should genes from other species escape for example via pollen drift to have devastating effects.

There was concern expressed about the lack of publicly funded research into the effects on health and nutrition from eating genetically engineered foods. Only two studies in the UK one of which was the experiment of potatoes fed to rats which has received much publicity. The discredited results were later upheld by a group of 20 scientists.

The whole issue of research funded by industry (applied research) rather than pure research was discussed. CSIRO with its considerable spending on genetically engineered food was an issue.

There is concern about the lack of adequate risk assessment and the fact that most risk assessment in the US is done by the companies themselves.

Genetically engineered food has been front-page news in Europe for the last three months because of the mad cow disease and the lack of trust that the people have in the government when it comes to food. A food and environment alliance has formed called Sustain that has called for a five year freeze on the introduction of such foods and is gaining a lot of support.

In the UK 300 councils have signed up to supply non-genetically engineered food to their childcare centres and schools largely because of concerns about duty of care should there be a problem. Waverley Council in Sydney has just announced "GE free" food for their childcare centres.

4.
Governments role in regulation was high on the agenda with ANZFA the main focus:

• There was a grave concern for ANZFA moving from Health to the Agriculture portfolio.
• Agriculture was seen largely as having trade interests and there was a point of view presented that where food regulators were located in agriculture around the world regulations had impacted adversely on health.
• The health policy people indicated they would fight this decision.
• The decision making process of ANZFA utilises five objectives in descending order of priority.
• They were criticised for seeming to favour lower order objectives, such as facilitating trade, higher than public health and safety and the protection of consumers from fraud and deception.

There was a view expressed that ANZFA and other food regulators around the world had been captured by industry.

5.
Designer foods and health claims on foods were an issue. Concerns about making health claims for example with folate, that could lead people to believe that you had to eat a processed cereal to get adequate levels of folate.

6.
Education was a big issue with the health policy makers frustrated by the huge advertising budgets that advocated processed foods. How to get people to eat more fresh fruit and veg and less meat and dairy was an issue.

7.
Organic food was not without some criticism:

The focus in Europe for an increasing proportion of organics is on highly priced processed goods, which are exported around the world. This is part of the globalisation problem and there was concern that this type of focus is not helping to address the serious issues facing us with transport and packaging using up huge quantities of fossil fuels.

In addition the large food companies are falling over themselves to get hold of organic food and they will continue to dominate sales with the organic food largely a new highly priced niche market

There was concern expressed about poor people not being able to afford organic food.

What can we do about all of the above?
Eminent speakers such as Professor Fran Baum, head of health at Flinders University and head of the Public Health Association, Professor Tim Lang, head of the Centre for food policy in London and Rosemary Stanton advocated a number of actions in their addresses to the conference:

• We need eco-sensitive organic production systems.
• We need to encourage local grown and local consumed where possible.
• We need people to grow food in their backyards.
• We need to make greater use of native foods.
• We need to encourage the flourishing of biodiversity.
• We have to manage globalisation and the concentration of power to deliver the social, environmental outcomes desired.
• We need to come up with new ways of thinking about food and trade of food that encourage outcomes other than profit, such as social, health and environmental outcomes which are equally as important.
• We need to invest more R&D money into organic eco-sensitive systems of agriculture.
• We need to create regulators that are independent and make decisions that are looking for the health, social and environmental outcomes before the profit outcome.
• We need to educate people to eat well.
• We need to assist the third world to re-establish systems that make them self sufficient in their own eco-sensitive food supplies.
• We need to lobby governments to recognise and implement the above actions as necessary and urgent.

It was recommended that an alliance be formed of interested food and environment organisations to lobby and educate about all of the above.

CONTACT:
Scott Kinnear, Organic Federation of Australia,
C/- 452 Lygon St., East Brunswick Victoria 3057, Australia.
Ph 61 3 9386 6600, Fax 61 3 9384 1322.
E-mail: ofa@netspace.net.au