Potato famine disease striking home gardens in US

Late blight, which caused the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s and 1850s, is killing potato and tomato plants in home gardens from Maine to Ohio and threatening commercial and organic farms, U.S. plant scientists said on Friday. 'Late blight has never occurred this early and this widespread in the United States,' said Meg McGrath, a plant pathologist at Cornell University's extension center in Riverhead, New York. She said the fungal disease, spread by spores carried in the air, has made its way into the garden centers of large retail chains in the Northeastern United States. 'Wal-mart, Home Depot, Sears, Kmart, and Lowe's are some of the stores the plants have been seen in,' McGrath said in a telephone interview. The disease, known officially as Phytophthora infestans, causes large mold-ringed olive-green or brown spots on plant leaves, blackened stems, and can quickly wipe out weeks of tender care in a home garden. McGrath said in her 21 years of research, she has only seen five outbreaks in the United States. The destructive disease can spread rapidly in cooler, moist weather, infecting an entire field within days. 'What's unique about it this year is we have never seen plants affected in garden centers being sold to home gardeners,' she said. This year's cool, wet weather created perfect conditions for the disease. 'Hopefully, it will turn sunny,' McGrath said. 'If we get into our real summer hot dry weather, this disease is going to slow way down.' FUNGICIDES WILL CONTROL BLIGHT According to its website, the University Maryland's Plant Diagnostic Lab got a suspect tomato sample as early as June 12, very early in the tomato growing season, which runs from April-September. McGrath said the risk is that many gardeners will not recognize it, putting commercial farms and especially organic growers at risk. 'My concern is for growers. They are going to have to put a lot more time and effort in trying to control the disease. It's going to be a very tough year,' she said. 'This pathogen can move great distances in the air. It often does little jumps, but it can make some big leaps.' McGrath said the impact on the farmer will depend on how much the pathogen is spread. 'Eastern New York is seeing a lot of disease,' she said. She said commercial farmers will be able to use fungicides containing chlorothalonil to control the blight. And while some sprays have also been approved for organic use, many organic farmers do not use them, making it much harder to control. 'If they are not on top of this right from the very beginning, it can go very fast,' she said.

A beautiful vision of the Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems Practitioner Training Course

Speaking at the recent graduation ceremony for participants in the international Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems Practitioners Training Course, Dr Joachim Roller, department head for the new therapy, said that gems are a modality of Maharishi Ayur-Veda designed to help realize higher states of consciousness. 'Human beings are designed and constructed in harmony with the design of the whole universe,' he said. 'Gemstones can give us the same experience of great expansion and wholeness that comes from the reverberation of the Self, Atma, within itself [experienced during the Transcendental Meditation Programme] and they help re-establish the connection between us and the cosmos.' Dr Iris Roller explained that the training course has intellectual, experiential, and practical aspects and includes study of principles, practice, and application of Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems as developed under the direct guidance of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. This is a programme of Vedic Medicine (Consciousness-Based Health Care), she said, which combines the ancient knowledge of gems in Ayurveda with modern technology. Through the application of light, the orderly and intelligent quality of gems is harnessed to awaken the inner intelligence of the physiology of the person receiving treatment, helping to improve health and bring balance to body and mind. 'Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems also helps to refine perception, leading to the development of higher states of consciousness,' she said. 'This is a gentle and very profound method for developing invincibility for the individual. Experience shows not only that is it a very blissful experience to have Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems treatment, but also that to give this treatment to others is like bathing in light!' 'It is such a beautiful vision that Dr Joachim Roller and Dr Iris Roller have given us—of the orderly and nourishing qualities of gems being harnessed by the light, and then transferred to the physiology and consciousness of the person receiving treatment,' commented Dr Peter Swan, Minister of Communication for the Global Country of World Peace. 'Now, with the graduation of the students, Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems treatment will be offered in twelve countries.'

Canadian farmers opposed to GM wheat: survey

Canadian farmers oppose the introduction of genetically modified wheat until market conditions change, a Canadian Wheat Board survey has found. In the CWB's annual survey of 1,300 Western Canadian farmers, only 9 percent said GMO wheat should be grown as soon as it's available, with the majority saying it shouldn't be grown until conditions are met such as proving benefits to farmers and demonstrating market demand. Nineteen percent said it should not be grown in Canada. Farmers were close to evenly split when asked how interested they are in growing GM wheat. Fifty-one percent said they're not interested, with 46 percent very or somewhat interested. 'My sense is that farmers are mostly taking an economic look at it,' said CWB chairman Larry Hill, a farmer in the western province of Saskatchewan. 'They're pretty aware that there's not major acceptance by customers and if it's going to be introduced they want to be sure it's going to make them money.' Canadian farmers grow other GMO crops, particularly canola, but there's greater sensitivity around wheat because it's a direct human food ingredient unlike canola which is crushed for vegetable oil or biofuel, Hill said. Debate about genetically modified wheat resurfaced in May when farmer groups in the top wheat-exporting countries of Canada, the United States and Australia jointly called for synchronized production of GMO wheat. Other farm and environmental groups later issued a joint statement of opposition. A new publicly funded academic study, to be published this week in the journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research, shows Canadian farmers were overwhelmingly opposed in 2004 to Monsanto's aborted proposal for herbicide-resistant genetically modified wheat. That study surveyed 1,566 Prairie farmers five years ago and found 83 percent disagreed Roundup-Ready wheat should be commercially developed. Farmers felt the benefits of Roundup-Ready wheat outweighed the risks of losing markets, increasing corporate control of the food supply and contamination of non-GMO crops, said Ian Mauro, the lead author and a post-doctoral fellow at University of Victoria in British Columbia. 'All of the research indicates that the marketplace is very sensitive to any GM trait and what we found is farmers are concerned about market risks,' Mauro said. 'Although we've identified the risks specific to Roundup-Ready wheat, I can definitely see that many of them could apply to other GM wheat.' The Roundup-Ready wheat survey is irrelevant today because five years have passed and Monsanto is no longer pursuing that or any GMO wheat, said Trish Jordan, the company's spokeswoman in Canada. The CWB's results aren't surprising because no private companies are known to be developing GMO wheat, she said. 'In the absence of having that information (on potential GMO benefits) it's very difficult for a farmer to decide,' Jordan said, adding that market acceptance would also be critical. Syngenta AG, the world's largest agrochemical group, said in February it's not actively pursuing genetically modified wheat because of consumer resistance.

Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture at the centre of France

The Transcendental Meditation organization in France owns nine hectares of land at the Brahma-Sthan* (geographical centre) of France where three years ago, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi asked Dr Dominique Lemoine, National Director of France for the Global Country of World Peace, and a team of Transcendental Meditation Teachers to begin a project to create a Maharishi Peace Colony** there. They have been cultivating the land and are now selling beautiful flowers and organic vegetables. They also have honey bees and gather their honey for use by the organization. Dr Lemoine said there is also a possibility for 67 hectares of beautiful land near the Brahma-Sthan, with a lake, rivers, hills, meadows, and forests, for which the zoning has been changed from agricultural to residential. This land would offer the potential to build about 200-300 houses, so about 800 people could live there in different types of houses and apartments. There could also be a possibility of building a Maharishi Spa, Maharishi School and facilities for a university and for Maharishi Vedic Pandits. Everything is possible there, Dr Lemoine said. Town officials are supportive of the project. Because it is a rural area, it has a very deep silence, 'no pollution or industry, no noise except a few tractors, so it's a very beautiful place for creating a peace colony,' Dr Lemoine said. * Brahma-Sthan: Dr Eike Hartmann, Minister of Global Reconstruction for the Global Country of World Peace, has explained that the centre point of a country has a very special and precious quality of balance and unifying wholeness. In the Vedic language, this central place is called Brahma-Sthan, and from here, the wholeness of life can be administered according to the Constitution of the Universe, the Will of God, which silently administers the ever-expanding universe in perfect order and harmony. ** Peace Colony: A community founded to help create invincibility for a nation, based on Maharishi's Vedic Science and its practical applications for living perfection in all areas of life—featuring a Maharishi Peace Palace, Maharishi School, Maharishi Ayur-Veda Health Centre, homes, and buildings for group practice of Yogic Flying—all built according to Vedic Architecture, Maharishi Sthapatya Veda.

Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture at the centre of France

The Transcendental Meditation organization in France owns nine hectares of land at the Brahma-Sthan* (geographical centre) of France where three years ago, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi asked Dr Dominique Lemoine, National Director of France for the Global Country of World Peace, and a team of Transcendental Meditation Teachers to begin a project to create a Maharishi Peace Colony** there. They have been cultivating the land and are now selling beautiful flowers and organic vegetables. They also have honey bees and gather their honey for use by the organization. Dr Lemoine said there is also a possibility for 67 hectares of beautiful land near the Brahma-Sthan, with a lake, rivers, hills, meadows, and forests, for which the zoning has been changed from agricultural to residential. This land would offer the potential to build about 200-300 houses, so about 800 people could live there in different types of houses and apartments. There could also be a possibility of building a Maharishi Spa, Maharishi School and facilities for a university and for Maharishi Vedic Pandits. Everything is possible there, Dr Lemoine said. Town officials are supportive of the project. Because it is a rural area, it has a very deep silence, 'no pollution or industry, no noise except a few tractors, so it's a very beautiful place for creating a peace colony,' Dr Lemoine said. * Brahma-Sthan: Dr Eike Hartmann, Minister of Global Reconstruction for the Global Country of World Peace, has explained that the centre point of a country has a very special and precious quality of balance and unifying wholeness. In the Vedic language, this central place is called Brahma-Sthan, and from here, the wholeness of life can be administered according to the Constitution of the Universe, the Will of God, which silently administers the ever-expanding universe in perfect order and harmony. ** Peace Colony: A community founded to help create invincibility for a nation, based on Maharishi's Vedic Science and its practical applications for living perfection in all areas of life—featuring a Maharishi Peace Palace, Maharishi School, Maharishi Ayur-Veda Health Centre, homes, and buildings for group practice of Yogic Flying—all built according to Vedic Architecture, Maharishi Sthapatya Veda.

Rising coherence leads to a greener world: Trends in gardening and sustainable agriculture

Coherence-creating groups in a few countries are lifting the collective consciousness globally. These groups of Yogic Flyers—practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation Technique and Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme—are dedicated to creating peace for their nations and the world. When the number of Yogic Flyers reaches the square root of one percent of a nation's population, that country is said to be invincible, according to the Global Country of World Peace, the educational organization established by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Founder of the Transcendental Meditation Programme. As a result of the continuing Invincible America Assembly, the Invincible Holland Assembly, school groups in Invincible Latin America, and the Maharishi Vedic Pandits in India, positivity is rising worldwide. This article highlights examples of increased coherence reflected in the trend toward the greening of urban areas, sustainable agriculture, and organic gardening. An interest in healthy eating, self-sufficiency, and a desire to reduce carbon emissions caused by food imports is motivating a 'green revolution' in thinking, said a spokesperson for the Global Country of World Peace. • The BBC reports, 'Queen goes green with veg patch'. Her Majesty, the Queen of England has established The Royal Sustainable Vegetable Patch inside the 40-acre grounds of Buckingham Palace. The garden will provide vegetables for the palace and guests. The manager of the garden said the aim is to inspire people to grow more of their own food, and to get families and children involved in the wholesome activity of gardening. • The First Lady of the USA, Michelle Obama, has planted an organic vegetable garden at the White House. • A crime-ridden district of Tokyo, with a population of 500,000, has turned to planting flowers as part of its efforts to reduce crime. Neighborhood watch groups noticed there were fewer burglaries on streets lined with flowers; a city leader commented that the increased attractiveness may have caused people to pay more attention to their neighborhood. 'Operation Flower' began three years ago as part of a wider crime prevention campaign, and since then burglaries have decreased from 1,700 in 2002, to 390 incidents in 2008. • 'Guerrilla gardening' is taking root in many countries. The term, first used in Australia in the 1970s, describes activists who, often at night, transform trash-ridden, unused urban land into attractive green spaces with flowers, vegetables and trees. • Poor farmers are encouraged 'to guard earth's crop riches', reported the New Scientist magazine. A global fund was established last week to pay small-scale farmers to act as custodians of the world's threatened crops. Crop diversity is essential to ensure against food crises that could result from climate change or plant diseases. Among the first of the fund recipients, 'Peruvian farmers will be paid to look after the most diverse collection of potatoes in the world', experimenting with growing conditions at different elevations and climatic zones. The fund is a key element of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Also part of the treaty, a seed vault with over one million seed varieties has been established in Norway to ensure against loss of the genetic diversity of the world's food heritage.

Beauty Products Get Fairtrade Makeover

public from hereafter will be able to buy products including lip balms, face masks, body butters and shower gels from 5 companies including Boots, Bubble & Balm, Essential Care, Lush and Neal's Yard. Each beauty product contains one or more Fairtrade certified ingredient such as cocoa butter, shea nut butter, sugar or brazil nut oil, benefitting disadvantaged producers from countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. To date, 57 beauty products have been licensed by the Fairtrade Foundation and it is expected that many more will follow.
Fearne Cotton, TV presenter and long-standing Fairtrade supporter, says: "I am really excited about this new opportunity to transform trade through the way I shop. I've tried out several of the new beauty products for myself and love them. Not only are they great quality, but they make me feel good using them because I know that the farmers who grew the ingredients that went into them are now able to improve their lives."
Beauty products, toiletries and fragrance products play an important part in our lives. In Europe at least 5 billion units of cosmetics[1] are sold each year[2] using around 1.5 million tonnes of ingredients.[3] Increasingly, people are keen to lead a Fairtrade lifestyle and expect sustainable attributes to be an inherent part of the products and services that they buy. In a recent survey by Globescan, 31% of people in the UK said they are interested in purchasing cosmetics carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark. There is huge potential within the beauty and cosmetics sector for producers of existing Fairtrade certified ingredients and also of potential new ingredients or their derivatives to benefit from this new market opportunity.
Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation says: "It's great news that now the beauty industry will get a Fairtrade makeover and the farmers who grow the natural ingredients will get a fairer deal because we think they're worth it. This exciting launch brings much needed positive change for producers who need Fairtrade now more than ever. The public has said they want to lead a sustainable lifestyle and this is the next step along the path to looking good and feeling great. So go out and treat yourself to these great new products!"
Introducing Fairtrade labelling to beauty products will increase the overall number of Fairtrade products in UK shops and the volumes of ingredients which producers are able to sell under Fairtrade terms, which in turn increases the benefits back to farmers.
Ms Nana Yago, a Fairtrade shea nut producer from Burkina Faso says: "When we work together, we can help many people out of poverty. Most importantly, Fairtrade enables us to help ourselves and to support each other. The premium allows us to offer training courses to the women in our group. They learn to write and can see how important it is to have their independence in life. The status of women in our society has now increased."
Landlocked Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. Ms Yago is a member of the Union of Women Producers of Shea Products of the Sissili and Ziro provinces, a group representing 2,000 women. The group was set up to improve the position of women involved in shea butter production, most of whom are illiterate, and reduce poverty in the villages. Traditional shea butter processing is done by village women who gather, boil and sun-dry the nuts before they are pounded and ground to a paste. The paste is mixed with water to separate the fat, which is then manually churned into creamy butter.
Through Fairtrade labelled beauty products, producers will benefit in three ways.
1. Producers will get the Fairtrade minimum price plus a premium, a bit extra to invest in community projects such as schools and healthcare.2. The companies behind the products will have a partnership plan in place showing how they will additionally support producers to develop their businesses and communities.3. The Fairtrade Foundation has worked hard to set minimum thresholds of Fairtrade ingredients at levels which allow best selling volume lines of beauty products containing natural ingredients to be certified.
Notes to Editors
1. The FAIRTRADE Mark is a certification mark and a registered trademark of Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) of which the Fairtrade Foundation is the UK member. The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent certification body which licenses the use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products which meet international Fairtrade standards. This independent consumer label is now recognised by 70% of UK consumers and appears on products as a guarantee that disadvantaged producers are getting a better deal. Today, more than 7.5 million people - farmers, workers and their families - across 58 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system.
2. Thresholds defined within the Cosmetics policy for a product to be eligible for Fairtrade labelling have been set at the following wet weight formulation levels:
Minimum 2% for ‘wash off' products (on a whole product
Minimum 5% for ‘leave on' products (on a whole product basis) e.g. face masks and scrubs
These thresholds open up the potential market for Fairtrade labelling to 53% of the total cosmetics market because they are applicable to the best selling volume lines (where higher thresholds would not) and permit a wide range of cosmetics products to be formulated containing Fairtrade ingredients and their derivatives.
3. Over 4,500 products have been licensed to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark including coffee, tea, herbal teas, chocolate, cocoa, sugar, bananas, grapes, pineapples, mangoes, avocados, apples, pears, plums, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, satsumas, clementines, mandarins, lychees, coconuts, dried fruit, juices, smoothies, biscuits, cakes & snacks, honey, jams & preserves, chutney & sauces, rice, quinoa, herbs & spices, seeds, nuts & nut oil, wines, beers, rum, confectionary, muesli, cereal bars, yoghurt, ice-cream, flowers, sports balls, sugar body scrub and cotton products including clothing, homeware, cloth toys, cotton wool, olive oil and beauty products.
4. Seven in 10 households purchase Fairtrade goods, including an extra 1.3 million more households in 2008, helping Fairtrade sales reach an estimated £700m in 2008, a 43% increase on the previous year. There are over 460 producer organisations selling to the UK and 746 to the global Fairtrade system, representing more than 1.5 million farmers and workers.
[1] Cosmetics defined as all toiletries, skin care, hair care, make up, perfumes and fragrances
[2] Source: European Commission and COLIPA
[3] Figures are extrapolated from Euromonitor data 2005 and from COLIPA data. UK market share is ~17% of EU market. The combined market share for cosmetics in Germany, France and UK is 57% of the EU market.