March / April

2007 March / April

In this issue of Organic Matters we welcome the return of spring, longer days and the awakening of nature in that age old ritual - the turning of the seasons.

Much of this issue is concerned with the dangers facing our population from energy dependence, the threat of GM food and the toxins we consume daily in our diet.

Recently, news has been dominated by increased evidence of global warming and the irreparable damage our lifestyles cause to the global environment. Consumption of fossil fuels contributes substantially to this, and Brian McGuinness examines the potential of wind power, one way of producing clean energy without risk to human health. Ireland is better placed than most other European countries to exploit this natural resource and, given our almost total dependence on external energy sources, it seems an obvious route to choose.

By far the greatest threat to all types of farming is the imminent possibility of the introduction of genetically modified crops to Ireland. Once what is being called a ‘co-existence' strategy is agreed, the way is open for any number of GM crops to be grown. Clear evidence shows that, once released, GM crops infect the food chain and this damage is irreversible. A general election will be held within the next few months. Farmers and consumers need to let their public representatives know that the people of Ireland reject GM food. Please also contribute to the IOFGA anti-GM fund.

Even without the inclusion of GM ingredients, our diet has become tainted by a cocktail of toxic chemicals and we look at some of those in our feature on 8 & 9 Conditions such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes have reached epidemic proportions but a conspiracy of silence surrounds the causes of disease. Perhaps its time we began to ask what's really in our food.