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PRESS RELEASE Friday 18th October
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| FRIENDS OF THE
EARTH AWARENESS WEEK ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
Friends of the Earth are this week calling upon politicians, supermarkets and consumers to take action for sustainable agriculture, healthy food and local diversity. As part of the Campaign ‘Food and Farming: Time to Choose!’ Friends of the Earth are organising actions all over Europe from 19th October to 26th October calling for a more sustainable food production system. In 111 cities and villages in 12 European countries, actions will take place where people will demand sustainable agriculture and healthy, locally grown food. Actions will take place in Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Scotland and Spain. Friends of the Earth will call upon politicians to:
The reform proposed by European Commissioner Fischler is a step in the right direction, but it supports points (1) and (2) only to some extent and completely ignores points (3) and (4). CAP reform needs to go much further than proposed in order to solve all the environmental, social and health problems of the current European agricultural and food system. Friends of the Earth will call upon supermarkets to
Friends of the Earth will call upon consumers to:
Check out our position paper on CAP reform, the summary position and a wealth of facts and figures at www.ChooseFoodChooseFarming.org
Kees Kodde - Campaign Coordinator
Overview of planned
activities during the action week and contacts For information on specific actions in each country contact: Austria: Iris Strutzmann Tel +43 1812
5730 <iris.strutzmann@global2000.at> Austria (Global 2000, FoE Austria)
Contact: Iris Strutzmann Tel +43 1812 5730 <iris.strutzmann@global2000.at
Cyprus (FoE Cyprus)
Contact: Loukia Pavlidou Tel +357 53 47 042 <foearth@spidernet.com.cy>
Czech Republic (Hnuti Duha, FoE Czech Republic) Public excursions to organic farms in 10 cities and towns Contact: Vojtech Kotecky Tel. +420-5-45214431 <vojtech.kotecky @hnutiduha.cz>
Denmark (NOAH, FoE Denmark) The action in Denmark is called
"politics in the refrigerator". The actions will be: handing out
organic "lunchboxes" in Copenhagen. The Lunchbox contains
organic food, a "sales ticket" with "real prices"
and handing out campaign materials in Copenhagen and other cities. Contact: Bo Normander Tel +45 353 612 12 <bo@noah.dk>
France (Amis de la Terre, FoE France) Local groups in 10 regions will be distributing campaign leaflets to the general public at local markets in the regions: Midi-Pyrénées, Gers, Landes, Moselle, Dunkerque, Hyères, Poitou, Rhône, Ile de Groix, Val d’Oise, Pau and Producteur Contact: Cedric Cabanne Tel. +33 1 48 51 32 22 <cedric.cabanne@amisdelaterre.org>
Greece (Nea Ecologia, FoE Greece)
Contact: Vangelis Stoyannis Tel +30 10 88 19870/+30 946754296 <ecologia@hol.gr>
Hungary (MTVSZ, FoE Hungary)) In Hungary MTVSZ is planning 1 action in Budapest and 5 actions in the countryside. Actions will include : demonstrations at supermarkets, lectures in schools, food festival, information stalls on organic agriculture, quiz, lectures, etc.
Contact: Robert Fidrich Tel +36 1 21 67 297 <fidusz@zpok.hu>
Netherlands (Milieudefensie, FoE Netherlands) On Oct 18th, Milieudefensie will present
the annual Eco Award, the award for the supermarket that has most
organic products.
Contact: Nicole Bakker Tel + 31 205 507 300 <nicole.bakker@milieudefensie.nl>
Poland (PKE, FoE Poland) Oct 19 Gliwice: launch of action
week: organic fair for all Silesian citizens Contact: Ewa Hadjuk Tel + 48 12 423 20 47 <biuro@pkegliwice.pl>
Scotland (Friends of the Earth Scotland) Friends of the Earth Scotland will be present at the largest farmers markets in Scotland next week in Edinburgh on Saturday 19th October and in Glasgow on Saturday 26th October to promote sustainable food and farming. There Friends of the Earth will distribute the 'How to eat sustainably' publication and asking people to support Scotland's Organics Targets Bill which was presented in parliament on 1st October. Contact: Dan Barlow + 44 131 554 9977 dbarlow@foe-scotland.org.uk
Spain (Amigos de la Tierra, FoE Spain) Activities will take place in 8 different Spanish cities: Sevilla (Andalucía), Eivissa and Mallorca (Baleares), Barcelona and Lleida (Catalunya), Ourense and Vigo (Galicia) and Madrid. Different stands will be set up, focussing on food miles, and on the environment problems of the current food system. These stands will be placed in front of municipal markets, supermarkets or central places. Leaflets and quizes will be distributed and the public can participate in a food miles game. Contact: Hector Gravina Tel + 34 933 19 50 22 +34 913 069 900 <hgravina@nodo50.org>
United Kingdom (FoE EWNI, England, Wales and Northern Ireland) During this week and through the autumn FOE EWNI will be highlighting the plight of UK apple growers who struggle to survive in the face of global competition and stringent supermarket demands. FOE EWNI is carrying our surveys of growers and of supermarkets to raise awareness. More than 52 groups are participating in the surveys. FoE will show that growers are finding it harder and harder to compete on world markets and to meet the over-zealous appearance standards demanded by the supermarkets. FoE will expose the lack of shelf space given to UK apples in our supermarkets despite the claims they make about promoting British fruit. FoE will also reveal what apple growers get paid, compared to the price shoppers pay at the supermarket till. It is not surprising that many growers now think that the only way forward is to sell their produce locally and direct to consumers. But until the Government and the Regional Development Agencies see local food as more than a niche market and give it the support it deserves, most growers will have little choice but to carry on trying to compete with their counterparts in Europe, America and even China. During this week FOE EWNI will also launch its 'GM Free Britain' campaign encouraging local areas to declare themselves GM free - making the choice for sustainable farming instead of GM technology. Contact: FoE England, Wales & Northern Ireland: Pete Riley Tel + 44 113 389 99 55 <peter@foe.co.uk>
Friends of the Earth is the largest grassroots environmental network in the world
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