Perspectives on Social Issues
(February 2007)

Organic Farming Facing Sustainability and Justice Issues
"Even as sales of organic food are rising, organic farmers in the United States and elsewhere face a potential decline in profits. On the one hand, reports have brought attention to the low wages and poor living conditions of many farm workers, leading to calls for growers to improve salaries and benefits. At the same time, large-scale distributors like Whole Foods and WalMart are competing to offer the lowest organics pricing, putting farmers under greater pressure to reduce costs.

While the U.S. government's organic food label guarantees that certified food is grown without chemical fertilizers or genetic modification, it does not ensure fair labor practices. Richard Mandelbaum, policy analyst at the Farmworker Support Committee, has called U.S. farm working conditions ‘a human rights crisis.’ ‘In terms of wages and labor rights, there's really no difference between organic and conventional,' he says. There are some exceptions. In 1998, California-based Swanton Berry Farm signed the first-ever contract between an organic farm and the United Farm Workers union. Swanton Berry claims it offers the ‘best pay scale in the industry' as well as additional benefits like medical and retirement plans and subsidized housing. But these unconventional perks raise Swanton Berry's costs 15 percent above those of most organic farms…. Ronnie Cummins, director of the Organic Consumers Association, remains optimistic about the development of the industry. ‘It's time to dovetail the health, sustainability, and justice movements,' he says. ‘The potential is incredible. But it's going to take some real, hard organizing.’"

“Organic Farming Feeling the Squeeze at Both Ends,” Eye on Earth, WorldWatch, Jan/Feb 2007.

Prominent Cold War Officials Call for Nuclear Disarmament
"An important commentary appeared in the January 4 [2007] issue of The Wall Street Journal, coauthored by four high-level architects of the Cold War: George Shultz, William Perry, Henry Kissinger and Sam Nunn. The article, headlined 'A World Free of Nuclear Weapons,' was amazing not so much for what it proposed but for who was making the proposal. The four prominent former U.S. officials reviewed current nuclear dangers and called for U.S. leadership to achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons. Their argument was as follows:

• Reliance on nuclear weapons for deterrence is becoming increasingly hazardous and decreasingly effective.
• Terrorist groups are outside the bounds of deterrence strategy.
• We are entering a new nuclear era that will be more precarious, disorienting and costly than was Cold War deterrence.
• New nuclear weapons states lack the safeguarding and control experiences learned by the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War…

For many of us committed to the global effort to abolish nuclear weapons, there is nothing new in their arguments…. What is new is that these former Cold Warriors have joined in a bipartisan spirit to publicly make these arguments to the American people."

"Former Cold War Officials Issue Plea for Nuclear Sanity," National Catholic Reporter, Jan 26, 2007.

Abu Ghraib Tactic Used in U.S.
"The now infamous photo of an Abu Ghraib detainee crouching in terror before a snarling dog appalled people around the world. But the same thing is happening in prisons in five U.S. states. Jamie Fellner, director of the Human Rights Watch prison program, points out in an October [2006] report called Cruel and Degrading: The Use of Force for Cell Extractions in U.S. Prisons, that 'the use of attack dogs against prisoners here...has been a well-kept secret.' Two U.S. army sergeants were convicted in courts martial for using dogs to threaten and assault detainees in Iraq. The report asserts that the same practice in the United States is not only cruel but also unnecessary, because more humane means are available to corrections officers in carrying out cell extractions -- the sanitized term for this violent procedure. Federal prisons do not employ it.

Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, South Dakota and Utah all make use of dogs for cell extractions. If a prisoner persists in refusing to leave his cell, a dog is allowed to attack him…. [America concurs] with the report’s recommendation that the American Correctional Association include in its own use-of-force standards a prohibition against the use of dogs on prisoners who refuse to vacate their cells."

“Abu Ghraib at Home," Current Comment, America, Nov 20, 2006.

Apple Lacks Commitment to Reduce Toxic E-Waste
"Today's high-tech gadgets get faster, smaller, and smarter by the day. But little attention is paid to the growing tide of toxic e-waste. Every year, hundreds of thousands of electronics are discarded in landfills or exported to Asia. Workers in Asian scrap yards, including children, dismantle the electronics and are exposed to a toxic cocktail of chemicals. Greenpeace has pressured electronics companies to eliminate toxic chemicals from their products and create strong take back and recycling programs. [Greenpeace] investigated the top electronics companies to see how they ranked in terms of their chemical policies and programs.

Hewlett Packard and Dell earned two thumbs up for agreeing to eliminate a range of hazardous chemicals from their products. Unfortunately, Apple is the biggest name still refusing to make commitments. Every quarter, [Greenpeace will] re-evaluate these companies to keep them on the right track The rankings are established based on whether the companies:

1. Set a clear timeline to remove toxic chemicals from electronics production and products; and
2. Develop a clear take back policy and recycling program.

[Greenpeace’s] vision for the industry is one that produces cleaner, longer lasting, and more sustainable products."

"A Bad Apple in the Bunch," Greenpeace Update, Winter 2006

Advocacy Key in Resolving Political Problems
"How can a paper plate turn into money for hungry people? Ask any of the elementary-school students who have attended a hunger talk by Ed Payne. After using a variety of props to help the kids understand what's needed to end hunger, Payne has them write letters to their members of Congress on paper plates. Then, ta-da! The amateur magician makes the money appear in the folded plates -- a direct result of the students' letter writing advocacy.

Payne says that he had a revelation as well when he first learned about Bread for the World more than 25 years ago: 95 percent of global hunger is caused by political and economic decisions. So responding to famine and other disasters, while vital, is only chipping away at 5 percent of the problem. The main solution to a largely political problem must be advocacy. Payne has put this conviction to work as a long-time BFW activist and leader. He chairs a Bread for the World Minnesota steering committee that covers most of the state's congressional districts. The committee coordinates efforts in Minnesota with a newsletter, statewide workshops, district meetings and other activities."

“Advocacy: A Political Solution to a Political Problem” Bread, Bread for the World Newsletter, Jan 2007.