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<pre>It seems that olive growing in Europe is getting a bad name: see this story
on the BBC website -

"Two conservation groups say the European Union is ruining southern Europe
by its subsidies for olive farmers.

WWF, the global environment campaign, and Birdlife International say the
subsidies are making deserts of Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal.

They want an end to payments for intensive olive production.

And they say a new system could be a model for environmentally and socially
sustainable land use."

More at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci...00/1394365.stm
--
Gareth Renowden, Limestone Hills, New Zealand
Words, olives and truffles
Office +64 (0)3 355 9552 Home +64 (0)3 314 9921
Mobile 025 790 070
"Wir sind gewoehnlich, wir sind zufrieden. We are normal and we dig Bert
Weedon" (BDDDB)
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<pre>The EU has expressed concern at the overuse of chemicals in the med.
region on olives, esp organophoshates eg aerial spraying of lebaycid on
Corfu has led to pollution of waterways, forests etc. There is also a
high incidence of death & birth abnormalities of humans working with
these products which has alrmed some govts (Cyprus for one).
Contamination of foods including olives (above acceptable MRL's) can be
detected through lab analysis which could prevent them being fit for
consumption.

We need more analysis of pests (incl lace bug), and a better
preventative treatment protocol (an IPM) to ensure that this situation
does not happen here. Otherwise treatment could be haphazard and
uncontrolled with serious repercussions. One example is the
contamination of Australian beef through consumption of cotton wastes
being detected by Japan leading to trade bans.


Roger Farquhar

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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