The environment in the news friday 17 October 2008
The American Beekeeping Federation
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The American Beekeeping FederationThere is the American Beekeeping Federation (ABF). Members of this group are commercial, sideline and hobby beekeepers, beekeeping supply dealers, queen and honey bee package producers, magazine publishers, honey importers, handlers and packers and pollination businesses. They are a large tent and attempt to cover essentially all aspects of the industry. If you look carefully at the composition of the individuals in this tent you might see some of the possible conflicts that could arise ... honey packers are in business to purchase honey as inexpensively as possible, from honey producers (beekeepers) who are in business to sell honey for as much as they can ... honey importers do the same – buy low, sell high. Since there are only a limited number of any of these specific businesses in our industry, however, to make a sizeable enough force when dealing with national political issues they have banded together. It works, mostly, and they are pretty effective in the political arena, and in creating financial stability to support their causes. As a group they fund scientific research, support 4-H kids, sponsor an annual conference and a host of other industry related and philanthropic activities. American Honey Producers AssociationThe other major group, the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA), are comprised of only commercial beekeepers. Others ... beekeeping suppliers, queen and package producers, and magazine editors, can belong and can support, but can’t be active members. Their rule is that if you earn more than 50% of your income from something other than producing honey you can’t vote in their group. It’s an exclusive, but effective group of beekeepers looking out for beekeepers. Not uncommon in any industry. You can see where the interests of these two groups lie, where they cross, and sometimes where they go in different directions. Over the years there has been much cooperation between the two in seeking and gaining goals that benefit both groups, and, conversely, there have been significant differences in their philosophy and what they believe is best for the industry, and in the best interest of their respective members. But enough of differences. Both groups certainly have a vested interest in solving the Colony Collapse Disorder problem that directly or indirectly affects all beekeepers. How to solve this problem is viewed somewhat differently by the groups but the goal is the same. And, last January, the two groups met together for the first time to work on some of their common problems, and share some of their common goals. I talked about that meeting here. In the future we’ll look at the excellent work some in the American Beekeeping Federation have been doing recently to solve beekeeper’s problems in the pesticide area, Colony Collapse Disorder problems, and where their efforts are paying off with groups like the pollinator protectors, the EPA and USDA and University researchers. Honey Producers Go to WashingtonThis time I’ll explore what the AHPA, represented by their Legislative Committee, has been seeking in the halls of congress. They visited Washington back in September to find out why things aren’t moving faster in the funding arena for the solution to CCD, and why cheap and illegal honey imports from China are still getting into this country and destroying, according to them, American beekeeper’s markets and ability to maintain their operations.
Colony Collapse Disorder funds are non-partisan as far as beekeepers are concerned ... all beekeepers can be affected by this problem, so all beekeepers want it solved.
U.S. beekeepers have more problems than CCD, and are playing on an international playing field. http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/blogs/bees/beekeeping-politics-55101602 Back to Menu ============================================================= ENVIRONMENT NEWS FROM THE UN DAILY NEWS 16 October 2008 Bioenergy could reverse poverty in West Africa, says new UN study 16 October - Sustainable bioenergy is a weapon that can be used by West African nations to combat poverty, according to a new United Nations-backed report released today. The new study – a joint effort by the UN Foundation (UNF), the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development and the Energy and Security Group – examines bioenergy’s potential in the eight nations of the Economic and Monetary Union of West Africa (UEMOA), which comprises Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. “The development, use, and commercialization of bioenergy offer UEMOA member countries vital economic, social, and environmental opportunities for transforming rural areas,” the report noted. If both produced and consumed locally, it could be a crucial tool used to address poverty, it added. “However, a strong policy framework at the local, national, and regional levels is required to ensure that these benefits are realized, shared equitably, and that negative impacts are minimized,” the new publication said. Policies must concentrate on the impact of bioenergy development on food security, the environment and the agricultural production system. The eight UEMOA nations “possess a rich resource base that can be sustained by a combination of good policies and practices to expand the production of and access to food, fuel, and fibre,” according to the report. “Undertaking these strategies to improve agriculture and forest productivity, protect watersheds, and produce bioenergy should also strengthen their ability to adapt to climate change.” Back to Menu ________________________________________________________________ Poor nations must also play role in global response to financial crisis – UN 16 October - A wide range of countries should play an important role in shaping policies to cope with the current global financial crisis, according to senior United Nations development experts who warned that the impact of the turmoil on poor nations is being overlooked as “economic giants” deal with the emergency. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) today voiced concern for what he called “innocent bystanders” in the widening global financial crisis. “The impact on developing countries will be much deeper than was anticipated,” he said during a meeting with UNCTAD’s governing body, the Trade and Development Board, in Geneva. Certain sectors of their economies “are beginning to suffer, and this is only the beginning,” he cautioned, adding that volatile exchange-rate movements affecting some of these countries will not help. “Trade will suffer, and the commodities boom that has helped developing countries for a number of years now is ending,” said Mr. Supachai. He noted that a real issue will be whether any cash will be left for credit and development aid needed for efforts such as achieving the anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as well as to boost productive capacities and cope with issues like climate change. Other issues that need to be addressed include the fate of smaller private banks, preventing “capital from fleeing from developing countries,” and regulating liberalized global markets to reduce volatility and risk, especially for small nations. Mr. Supachai stressed that adapting the global financial system “must be a global effort,” that includes the participation of all countries and the UN. The President of the Trade and Development Board, Debapriya Bhattacharya of Bangladesh, noted that the crisis “is complex and interrelated, it has yet to fully unfold, and the impacts are not yet completely clear.” However, there will be repercussions for trade, the currencies, and the investment prospects of the world’s less-advanced nations, he told the meeting. “It’s not just the extent of the problem, but how to manage the pace of it.” Heiner Flassbeck, Director of UNCTAD’s Division on Globalization and Development Strategies, described the current financial turmoil as “a global de-leveraging, a global going out of risky positions. That is all right on its own – in fact we have said for several years that this was going to happen – but it can go too fast. It must be slowed down by government intervention.” He warned of a “huge slowdown in trade due to the global recession that is looming. “The current malaise is that we have built a huge casino next to the real economy, and given too many people the means to play there, and now that casino has collapsed,” he told participants. “We need to realize, to learn the lesson, that this kind of casino is not productive, is not helpful. We must go back to balanced and real economic relations and to balanced relations between currencies.” The current financial crisis will also feature high on the agenda when Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convenes a meeting of his senior Chief Executives Board, which brings together the heads of the world body’s various entities, next week in New York. Back to Menu ________________________________________________________________ Back to Menu ============================================================= ENVIRONMENT NEWS FROM THE S.G’s SPOKESMAN DAILY PRESS BRIEFING 16 October 2008 (none) Back to Menu ============================================================= 
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