Organic debate continues as Obama garden grows

Washington-The recent dust-up over First Lady Michelle Obama’s organic garden has continued as pesticide groups have entered the frey and organic proponents have stepped up their support. “Pardon the metaphor,” said a recent article in the liberal blog dailykos, “but by planting an organic garden, Michelle Obama acted like Toto, pulling back the curtain to reveal the little man pretending to be the almighty wizard. That man – or men – behind the curtain are the biotech, pesticide, and fertilizer industries, who desperately want the American people to believe that they are absolutely necessary to prevent our starvation.” The blog article entitled “You’ve been told a lie,” which said it is a lie, among other things, to say organics can never feed the world and that pesticides/fertilizers/biotech are needed to feed the world. The article cited a 2007 study, “Organic Agriculture and the Global Food Supply,” which said organics can do as good a job as synthetics. TFI Vice President of Scientific Programs Bill Herz told Green Markets last week that the study is flawed, that in many cases the products being called organic are not. And a larger point, noted Herz, which has been suggested in some of these articles, is the erroneous assumption that no nutrients inputs are needed at all. If you want high yields, you need nutrient inputs, he said. TFI Vice President of Public Affairs Kathy Mathers added that saying a product is organic does not mean it is environmentally friendly, noting that manure suffers from volatilization. Mathers said TFI is not one of the men behind the curtain. Back when Mrs. Obama’s garden was planted (GM March 30) Nutrients for Life President Ford West sent her a letter pointing out that all fertilizers are good – organic and synthetic. Mathers reiterated that point last week, saying TFI welcomes everyone to the table, both synthetic and organic. In the meantime, Michelle Obama’s gardening has spread across the Atlantic as she and Queen Elizabeth are now sharing garden tips and the Queen has authorized an organic garden for Buckingham Palace, the first time vegetables have been grown there since World War II.