21 May 2009 - Amsterdam,
Netherlands — Giant potatoes have been spotted
riding bikes in the Dutch countryside and
through the middle of busy cities in
the Netherlands! This phenomenon has coincided
with a nation-wide cycling celebration of
organic farming.
The PieperPad (Dutch
for "Potato Trail") is a 1000
kilometer long cycling tour designed to
raise awareness about the importance of
ecological farming in the Netherlands by
encouraging members of the public to get
out into the countryside and enjoy potatoes,
a well loved Dutch staple, in a totally
new way.
A member of Parliament,
called Mr. Pieper (yes, he's actually called
"Mr. Potato"!) was a special guest
at the premiere of the first track along
with Gert van der Zwan, principal of the
Carolus Clusius College (Carolus Clusius
is the botanist who brought the potato to
Holland around 1600). Copies of the cycling
guide were given to these two sensibly dressed
fellows who then donned potato costumes,
hopped on their bike and rode to the first
potato exhibition field sporting 15 kinds
of potatoes. Assisted by students of the
Carolus Clusius College, the two special
guests planted the last potatoes here.
The Pieperpad is an
initiative by Greenpeace Netherlands together
with Biologica. Both organisations defend
biodiversity and campaign on environmentally
and socially sustainable agriculture.
On yer bike!
In several Dutch cities the Pieperpad was
promoted by volunteers handing out potatoes,
flyers and riding around on bikes dressed
as potatoes - through the centre of Utrecht
and organic markets in Amsterdam and Amerongen.
Dutch folks have been
very enthusiastic about the project and
requests are flooding in from individuals
and businesses who want to hop on the Pieperpad.
Greenpeace Netherlands has also started
a competition asking supporters to create
a name for the newest organic potato that
will be ready at the end of 2009.
Organic revolution
We asked several organic
farmers here in the Netherlands how they
felt about going organic. J. Bakker, grows
potatoes on his 80 hectare farm, in Munnekezijl.
Mr. Bakker was a conventional farmer for
25 years, but in 2001 he decided to switch
to organic farming. He says "Genetic
engineering is the biggest threat to agriculture,
because there is so much uncertainty."
Joute Miedema, in Oudebildtzijl,
went completely organic in 2009. From 1967
till 2000 he worked as a conventional farmer.
But when he realised that organic farming
was economical feasible he decided to make
the gradual switch to organic farming. He
enjoys being an organic farmer a lot more.
“It demands more creativity and alertness”,
says Miedema. “Marketwise it’s more pioneering
and I like it more and more.” Because he
uses organic fertilisers in stead of artificial
ones, his soil gets more body and life returns
to his acres. “Birds of prey have returned,
just like hares, deer, quails, while they
have been away for years.”
Erik Ploer runs a farm
with his family in the same region. When
they first started working there he wanted
to work in a way that was friendly to both
humans, animals and the environment, that’s
why he decided to work organically. "Organic
is the kind of farming I feel most at home
with. In agriculture everything has to do
with everything. You feed the soil, work
together with the animals and for humans.
Organic farmers make the right moves: No
poison, rejecting genetically modified crops
and no artificial fertilisers. Physical
and mental health go first!”
The GM resistance
European countries continue to resist growing
genetically modified (GM) crops. Germany
has just announced that it will become the
sixth EU country to ban the cultivation
of Monsanto’s GM maize MON810 - the only
GM crop that can be commercially grown in
the region. But Monsanto is still pushing
for this maize to be grown in more EU countries,
with some worrying success. The EU Commission
needs to take a stand against GM crops to
ensure the protection of consumers, farmers
and the environment.
In another bid to control
our food, Bayer, the German chemical giant
is hoping to get EU approval for the import
of their GM rice variety LL62. This rice
has genetically manipulated rice to withstand
higher doses of a toxic pesticide called
glufosinate, which is considered to be so
dangerous to humans and the environment
that it will soon be banned from Europe.
If this rice gets approval - farmers in
the US and elsewhere may soon start planting
the manipulated crop.
We hope that governments
around the world will follow the examples
of countries like Germany and France by
announcing a ban all GM crops.
