E-M:/ National Pesticide Use Was up 40 Million Pounds Since 1992, IN MICHIGANAT THIS TIME IPM STANDS FOR IMPROVED PESTICIDE MARKETING.

[Praxis <praxis1986@triton.net>]

Title:

Dear Mr. Armstrong, Dean MSU Agriculture and Natural Resources, 

IN MICHIGAN AT THIS TIME IPM STANDS FOR IMPROVED PESTICIDE MARKETING.
 
Consistent with Praxis's long standing concerns that pesticide use is not
falling in Michigan, misrepresentation of pesticide risk, (claims not on
the EPA labels such as 'harmless' or 'safe') made by MUS/MSU Extension/MDA
personnel, the lack of enforcement of State of Michigan IPM regulations and
the pervasive disparagement and discouragement of non-pesticide products
by like our biological control based Biotool KitTM products by public employees
is part of the problem.  MDA, MSU, and MSU Extension employees have no legal
basis for promoting and endorsing pesticide use, and despite supportive lip
service disparaging and discouraging people from using biological control
no mater what their own personal opinions are, this is not so called
"good science" this is marketplace manipulation using "science" as a tool
of repression.   This behavior by public officials is common in Michigan
and amounts to state capitalism, it  ignores the general publics interest
in pesticide use reduction and the federally mandated Food Quality Protection
Act (FQPA).

Sincerely,

Samuel DeFazio,
Praxis                                   616-673-2793
2723 116th Ave 
Allegan, MI  49010

 
9/28/2001, Edited by Willie Volt, E-Content Director, Farm Progress
 
GAO-01-815,
While biotech crops have come on strong in the past
six seasons, and 
federal agencies have had a pledge in place to reduce pesticide use, a new
report says no progress has been made. The report, requested and released
by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., says the federal agencies can do more to 
encourage farmers to reduce use of pesticides on crops and farmland.
Prepared by the General Accounting Office (GAO), the
report concludes that 
USDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have done little
to 
act on their 1993 pledge to cut pesticide use through promotion of 
integrated pest management programs. GAO found that the amount of 
pesticides used since this apparent pledge has increased and that while
use 
of the riskiest pesticides has declined, they still accounted for more than
40% of all pesticides used today.

 
According to a release from Leahy's office, he requested the GAO study 
after learning that , despite the push for integrated
pest management. In a charged 
statement regarding pesticide use Leahy says: "Our food supply remains the
safest and highest quality on earth, but we continue to overdose our 
farmland with powerful and toxic pesticides and to under-use
the safe and 
effective alternatives."  (A.K.A. Biological Control)

 
Integrated pest management is at work in several
types of farming, as 
detailed in the report, and Leahy says more can be done. USDA has included
a comment letter in the report that apparently offers a positive response
to the findings. The report should be posted to the General Accounting 
Office Web site today, check that site out at GAO.gov and click on GAO 
Reports appears under reports released to the public Sept. 28.