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In our last article we wrote of the pleasures and benefits of growing a substantial part of our own food and tried to avoid dwelling on the unhappy treatment given by Man to his only home: EARTH. Sadly, mention must be made of some of the disturbing news items that have come to our attention recently.

In March news came through of a report by the National Consumer s Council calling for a radical reform of farm practices - including a ban on drugs used to speed up animal growth. The report claimed that the use of antibiotics on farms was reducing their effectiveness in treating human illnesses. It was also stated that pesticide and nitrate residues in food and water mean washing or peeling fruit and vegetables no longer guarantees that they are safe to eat.

The National Farmers Union said that some of the claims were "alarmist". However on the 19 March The Times reported that "A clear link between the use of antibiotics in animal feed and the emergence of superbugs in hospitals has been established for the first time". The article went on to state that doctors had repeatedly warned of the danger but proving it had been more difficult. Now, according to studies carried out by Dr Henrik Wegener of the Danish Veterinary Laboratory, gene tests on bacteria in the gut of people, pigs and chickens have shown that resistance to one particular antibiotic has moved from animals to humans,. Antibiotics are given in animal feed because they typically increase animals growth rate by 5%. Dr Wegener now believes that antibiotics should be banned as growth promoters.

Calls for the banning of growth promoters in animal feed and for much greater discretion in the use of antibiotics in the treatment of farm animals produced the expected response from farmers and, of course the agri-chemical companies, that without the use of these compounds the cost of human food would increase dramatically. Some apologists for the agri-business lobby have even stated that it will be impossible to produce sufficient food without these potions.
Similar arguments are being advanced for the use of genetically engineered plants, and curiously a great deal of this development is being done by the antibiotic and pesticide manufacturers. It seems they are determined to have their slice of the farming cake come what may, despite further damage to our existing eco-system. Scientists at the Swiss Federal Research Station for Agro-ecology and Agriculture in Zurich have found evidence that gene-modified maize can kill beneficial insects as well as pests. This particular maize also contains genes conferring antibiotic and pesticide resistance supposedly to simplify seed production. Concern has been expressed that the antibiotic gene could get into bacteria and make them antibiotic resistant.

It would be comforting indeed if one could forget these so called "advances", secure in the knowledge that they had all been tried, tested and found safe, and that in the unlikely event of their proving not to be so, then the whole set up could easily be reversed. Unfortunately this is not the case as a little contemplation of Man s past efforts will readily illustrate. The introduction by the Romans to Britain of the stinging nettle; the introduction to Australia (no doubt by a whinging Pom?) of the humble rabbit; the world wide use and promotion of DDT; and a "small"? nuclear mishap at Chernobyl: these are just a few examples of good ideas or projects which went wrong, which are still causing a great deal of trouble and are likely to be doing so well into the next millennium. No doubt the reader can think of many more examples of the triumph of optimistic greed over prudent contentment.

Some comfort might be derived from the thought that the human race is still very much in its infancy. We are fearful of what Man may do when he really grows up.

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