I am hoping that this run of grey wet dark days is numbered. I am starting to get a little anxious for the season ahead as the land is under water. It is the same every year, a slight feeling of sceitimíní takes hold as we head into March; concern over whether conditions will improve? Inevitably they do (and if you don’t know that Irish word then it is worth looking up. It’s one of my favourite)
I am taking a more active role in the farm this year, it has taken 15 years of blood sweat and tears to earn a little time back in the fields. I am excited by this and the fact that this year we will embark on our biggest and most ambitious local organic food growing plan yet.
I read the other day that one third of sales from the top 5 pesticide companies are in chemicals classed as ‘highly hazardous’ and it reignited a little spark inside me and reminded me of the cornerstone founding principle of our business: grow food that enhances health and nature.
I found myself pondering the reality that if it is possible to grow the very best food without chemicals why use chemicals?
Agrochemical giants BASF, Bayer, Corteva, FMC and Syngenta, made 35% of their sales from pesticides that are found by regulatory authorities to cause risk of cancer or reproductive failure. Not to mention their damage to biodiversity.
This news is at odds with the corporate image presented by these companies, who use language and case studies based on soil health, sustainability and support for farmers.
Syngenta’s global website features a banner with an image of a bee in a meadow – ironic considering the damage pesticides cause to vital pollinators. Monsanto have ditched their name in the merger with Bayer chiefly because of their unshakeable association with Roundup and the negative press and law suits they couldn’t escape.
This I suppose is reflective of the the insane world we live in today. The only truth behind the use of these chemicals is the billions in profit they generate for these giant global conglomerates every year.
The oil industry too is complicit. BP roll out their Green carpet that very conveniently covers up the ugly devastating mess they are responsible for. Is it ok to promote a green agenda while they spend the majority of their budget on exploration for new oil deposits? This is deception at the highest level driven by greed and profit.
You may question why you pay us €1.99 for a pack of organic carrots when this week you can buy them in a leading supermarket for .69c (they were €1.49 last week) and you would be right to question this. (this is below cost selling and it is not ethical, it devalues food and in the long run it does not serve the consumer, and we certainly cannot compete with it). Incidentally in the same supermarket our parsnips are cheaper.
loss leading aside, the little extra you pay us for good quality local (where possible) and always 100% organic produce, guarantees we pay people fairly, that we source ethically, that we invest that extra bit of money in our farm, In the environment, in enhancing biodiversity in planning for a better planet because that is our guiding principle.
As the weather changes and the waters rise and the oil companies deceive and the Agri-chemical companies continue to peddle their poisons and giant retailers call the shots, choosing differently is a strong vote for a different future.
Thanks for your vote.
Kenneth
Ps I was proven wrong last week and Facebook did indeed allow our ad to run, I will go out on a limb here and make an educated guess that this one will be refused? Facebook care to comment?
