Community gardens a 'risk' to fruit and veg sector

[at0m]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-26/community-gardens-a-biosecurity-risk-to-horticulture-sector/5285472

Australia's peak body for the vegetable industry believes community gardens pose a biosecurity risk for the country's horticulture sector.

The criticism comes on the back of the Federal Government scrapping the $1.5 million Community Food Grants program, created by the former Labor government under the National Food Plan.

Ausveg's William Churchill says his industry has welcomed that decision, and says the money could have been better spent developing export markets for growers.

"A lot of these gardens may not be in the best nick, so to speak, and the issue we then have is with infestations with either pests or diseases, and then that becomes a threat in itself to commercial horticultural operations that need to comply with strict adherence to quality assurance guidelines," he said.

"What happens when we start to get biosecurity risks is that growers may have to take pre-emptive action to prevent pests from arriving on their properties, and what that does is that it means they have to keep the product in the ground longer, rather than being able to get it out to consumers.

"So the end issue with having community gardens more prevalent out there is that a biosecurity risk becomes far more likely if community gardens start to grow."

Mr Churchill has also raised concerns about food safety at farmers' markets.

"We've seen a litany of examples where people have passed themselves off as other growers," he said.

"We have concerns there as well there about food standards and quality assurance programs that are in place."

But Michael Croft, from the lobby group Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, says Ausveg has 'lost the vegetable plot', and that the real risks to Australia's biosecurity are not community gardens.

"By claiming the axing of community food grants was good policy, Ausveg is working against the best interests of Australian vegetable growers - particularly those that supply the domestic market," he said.

"To make matters worse, Ausveg repeats calls for further trade liberalisation - a double-edged sword.

"Free trade agreements, and the import competition they bring, are the main reason for Australian vegetable producers' woes, as the SPC Ardmona saga demonstrates.

"That Ausveg can't or won't see this fact beggars belief."

Mr Croft says community and fair food projects are not risky, and that, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, they are the fastest growing sector in Australia.

"In attacking community and fair food initiatives, Ausveg are needlessly turning their fire on thousands of individuals and an increasing number of groups whose numbers include the strongest, best informed and most articulate supporters of Australia's horticulturalists," he said.

"These are groups and individuals that Ausveg should be applauding and supporting."

[Darklight]

Are they for real? Is it April 1st already? Dumbest press release ever

Having competent, productive community gardeners out there strengthens our biosecurity. Having people with gardening experience ( ie able to produce a range of food crops over a number of years ) - whether those gardeners are active or not- strengthens our biosecurity, because the knowledge is more broadly distributed in case of need

"growers may have to take pre-emptive action to prevent pests from arriving on their properties". Well, duh. That's just part of good pest management practices, whether you're a community gardener or managing a 1000ha farm

[waterboy 2.0]

I spit on Liberal scum.... they'll be banning fckn school gardens next....

EDIT...and lol it appears the horticulture sector is the greatest risk to biosecurity

....like Little Cherry disease being positive identified down here recently (little cherry virus (LChV-2). The disease has not been detected in Australia before.) ....

which is looking likely came from infected commercial "verified" horticultural stock .... not community garden sourced....

If they don't get 'em on biosecurity it will come as a Public Health push....

Edited March 1, 2014 by waterboy

[-RC-]

Weakest 'I have a vested interest in no community gardens/I'm being paid to say this' statements ever

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

Each day my reality of the positive Australia my parents fed into me growing up gets more and more shattered! All this sounds like buying a second hand car, the dream baby, ya gotta have it!

Edited March 1, 2014 by prioritise

[El Presidente Hillbillios]

Are they for real? Is it April 1st already? Dumbest press release ever

Having competent, productive community gardeners out there strengthens our biosecurity. Having people with gardening experience ( ie able to produce a range of food crops over a number of years ) - whether those gardeners are active or not- strengthens our biosecurity, because the knowledge is more broadly distributed in case of need

"growers may have to take pre-emptive action to prevent pests from arriving on their properties". Well, duh. That's just part of good pest management practices, whether you're a community gardener or managing a 1000ha farm

at the risk of sounding like grandpa simpson, it was exactly this that saved England during world war 2.

[mira]

The Florida citrus industry has been after dooryard (i.e. home) citrus for a long time for similar concerns. I don't think it's totally unfounded given the spread of the asian citrus psyllid, citrus greening, and citrus leaf miners especially since gardeners do illegally import plants... sometimes with reckless abandon.

Edited March 4, 2014 by mira

[tripsis]

I agree with Mira, the concerns are not without merit. It's all very well to say the following:

"growers may have to take pre-emptive action to prevent pests from arriving on their properties". Well, duh. That's just part of good pest management practices, whether you're a community gardener or managing a 1000ha farm

But few home growers are schooled in such concepts or employ adequate pest management strategies as to reduce the risk of diseases spreading to adjacent properties and/or the agricultural sector. We but need look at ourselves and see why they're concerned. Plant hobbyists are forever trading live plants and seeds which have not been properly inspected for pests and disease, which then end up all over the country. When the stakes are so low for home gardeners, people are likely not to employ adequate measures, yet the stakes are high for the agricultural sector, and losses are severe.

I don't agree that community gardens should be banned, but I do understand the concern.

[Francois le Danque]

So...they reckon we should not have community gardens AND export all the fruit. Where the fuck are we meant to get our produce? Can you say: Codex Alimentarius?

Edited March 3, 2014 by Frank leDank

[Darklight]

Mira, Tripsis, why would either of you think that community gardens pose a special or enhanced threat over normal home gardens of the kind which require a specific anti-community gardens response?

I agree that everyone who grows plants has a responsibility towards other plant growers and the environment. However I think in this instance the response from Mr Churchill exaggerates risks and points fingers to try to start a case in the absence of an actual case. It rather looks like he is trying to define sides for future arguments

Wasn't it Myrtle Rust that came in via a standard plant import in NSW in 2010? The industry frequently has a lot to answer for itself, including in terms of limiting gene stocks and maintaining geneflow integrity.

Long term management of such things seems left to individuals and governments. But we're not claiming that broadscale ag and hort need to be stopped because of this, we're taking up the slack and doing what we can ourselves

I'm wondering how much the big chain stores are hurting since the proliferation of farmer's markets passed the timeline for being a mere fad ( which has pleasantly surprised me ). Like a number of locals I know, I'm using the regional supermarket a lot less now I'm networked into local food supplies- mostly for reasons of convenience.

Right now I'm figuring the big chain stores aren't hurting too much, but there have been downturns in the last quarter profit ( Coles, or Woolies, can't remember ) and I'm figuring they'd like a good stoush up their sleeve in case they need one. Hence the strawman

[tripsis]

Mira, Tripsis, why would either of you think that community gardens pose a special or enhanced threat over normal home gardens of the kind which require a specific anti-community gardens response?

Please don't put words in my mouth. I didn't say that, nor imply it. As I see it, they're in the same category. As I did say, I don't think community gardens should be banned, just as I don't think ordinary home gardens should cease to exist. I think the argument put forth definitely has vested interests behind it, but it does raise valid points nevertheless. We would do well to consider them, rather than ignore them and simply be angry instead.

I am 100% for more independence, more community and home gardens and fewer monocultures.

[mira]

Mira, Tripsis, why would either of you think that community gardens pose a special or enhanced threat over normal home gardens of the kind which require a specific anti-community gardens response?

Like tripsis clarified, neither of us stated anything about community gardens posing some sort of special risk. I was not arguing the merits of community vs. home gardens. I simply mentioned that in the US (where biosecurity is more lax) that similar concerns have been raised for years about home citrus gardens serving as pest reservoirs and even worse the source of introductions of new plant diseases and pests due to illegal importation.