Removing weeds from urban nature strips

Urban nature strips and vacant lands are often sites of high pesticide use for weed control. Gardening Australia (ABC) on August 10th 2018 showcases an alternative approach which has many community and health benefits.

“Ron Finlay is known as the ‘gangsta gardener’ and is from Los Angeles, where he says it’s easier to buy liquor than an organic apple. The South Central area where he lives is known for gang violence, drug dealing and drive-through food outlets, but Ron set out with the weapon of his choice – a shovel – saying that ‘you don’t need a gun or a knife to cultivate’.

An artist and fashion designer, Ron set out to change his neighbourhood and started to garden on the street instead. He started with watermelons on the parkway (what we call a nature strip) and ended up being charged with the ‘offence’ of growing plants on public land.”

Watch the full program here.

Six Middle Eastern Countries Ban Glyphosate Herbicides over ‘Probable Carcinogen’ Fears

“Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed that six Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman have banned the use of glyphosate herbicides since last year, after reviewing IARC’s classification of glyphosate as a ‘probable human carcinogen’.”

Map of Saudi Arabia.

Map of Saudi Arabia.

You can read the article in Sustainable Pulse (October 13th) here.

France Set to Phase Out Glyphosate Herbicides over Next 5 Years

The French Government has said that France is open to phasing out the World’s most used weedkiller glyphosate over the next five to seven years. This has followed complaints from farmers worried about a potential imminent ban. However, a failure to renew the license by the end of the year would see such a ban kick in automatically on Jan. 1, 2018. French farmers welcomed the prime minister’s statement.

A government source also said France, the EU’s largest grain grower and exporter, was asking the Commission to present a plan for phasing out glyphosate, but denied any timeframe had been set.

UN Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food

The report by the UN Special Rappateur on the Rights to Food is available here.

“In the report, a clearer account is provided of global pesticide use in agriculture and its impact on human rights; the negative consequences that pesticide practices have had on human health, the environment and society, which are underreported and monitored in the shadow of a prevailing and narrow focus on “food security”, are described; and the environmental and human rights regimes are examined to determine whether the constituent rules are sufficient to protect farm workers, consumers and vulnerable groups, as well as the natural resources that are necessary to support sustainable food systems.”

You might also like to view some of the addresses to the 2016 Soil not Oil Conference.

Of course, this should also be applied to the extravagant use of pesticides for the weed control in public spaces and conservation areas.

Local councils still using weed killer glyphosate despite WHO warning it ‘probably causes cancer’

Local councils still using weed killer glyphosate despite WHO warning it ‘probably carcinogenic, said ABC News headlines on February 16th. It was great to see that long term public concerns regard the broad scale use of herbicides with Glyphosate as an active ingredient finally is reaching the general public.This pesticide is the main tool for weed control in use by Landcare, Dunecare, local Councils, National Parks and Wildlife Service NSW, Road Traffic Authority, farmers, etc On March last year the World Health Organization change the status of Glyphosate from 2B to 2A (probably carcinogenic). Please see the article below.

Local councils still using weed killer glyphosate despite WHO warning it ‘probably causes cancer’