Hey Karl -- A rather sobering assessment from someone who characterizes himself as an idealist! The predictable effect of potential money-to-be-made on the implementation of Organic Standards explains a lot of the pressure to dilute or constrain. I don't see how that can be avoided, no matter how much a realist might have anticipated it, so I confess curiosity as to how you would proceed differently.
Joel At 12:13 PM 6/22/07 -0400, you wrote: >Sustainable Tompkins, > >The lamentable state of affairs that has developed in the 'organic' >agriculture business, of which the "dueling summits" report that was >posted here is just one manifestation, was easily predictable by anyone >who took the trouble to understand the nature of our economy, the policy >framework that created and sustains it, and the characteristic patterns >of behavior over time that the system generates. In fact those who sought >this understanding did predict the present situation. This is not a >criticism of the 'organic' community, many of whom are better equipped to >comprehend the biogeochemical nature of the soil system than they are of >grasping the sociological nature of our economy. > >The takeover by industrial giants of what started as a sustainable >agriculture movement was entirely characteristic of the historical system >behavior in virtually every sector of our economy. Until the movement >gets serious about understanding why these patterns of behavior happen, >its attempts at solutions are likely to have counterintuitive results. In >plain English, the results will repeatedly fall short of the >expectations. > >In this case for example, the appeal for unity with the same corporate >giants that have created the problems, viewed from my understanding of >the dynamics of power in the system, is like inviting foxes into the hen >house. Another example I see in this report of the general ignorance of >many of the idealists who started the movement is their initial >assumption that a summit sponsored (read controlled, shaped) by a major >corporate merchandiser could possibly produce much that advances the >cause of sustainability in agriculture or the food system. > >The report says that Fred Kirschenmann (with whom I have worked >organizationally on these and other questions) " referred to the tension >the organic community is experiencing with the commercialization and >mainstreaming of movement ideals and the need for the entire industry to >move beyond this conflict if organic is to survive as meaningful label in >the marketplace." What is the nature of the entire industry that he wants >to get in bed with? This reveals a pathetic ignorance of the structures >of power in that industry, as in the rest of our economy. > >It is also disappointing that so many of the idealists (I am an idealist >too) still cling to the notion that the 'organic label' will save the >movement. The NOSB, the institution mandated to create and protect the >label is located in and controlled by the USDA. That is like locating a >hen in a fox house. Like most other market-based solutions to social >problems, the organic label has born results that are too little, too >late. That is a historical pattern, generated by market forces, a lesson >we need to learn and make a basis for strategy. I believe that solutions >exist, but they need to be grounded in a better understanding of how our >society works. > >Karl North >Northland Sheep Dairy, Freetown, New York USA > www.geocities.com/northsheep/ >"Mother Nature never farms without animals" - Albert Howard >"Pueblo que canta no morira" - Cuban saying _______________________________________________ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
