Dr. Elmar Ritzinger is the head of the Directorate for Sustainability and Rural Development in the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment, and Water Management.
He spoke at Minneapolis University, as part of the Centre for Austrian Studies (CAS) American-Austrian public forum, “Climate Change, Sustainable Agriculture & Bioresources,” where he appeared at a panel discussion on organic farming.
In response to interviewer David Pinkerton, Ritzinger explained that the Austrian government’s interest in organic farming began at the end of World War II, and the government began giving financial support to organic farmers in the 1980’s.
The agricultural ministry wanted to become involved in what was called at the time ‘eco-social market policy’ and integrated environmental concerns and ecological concerns into agricultural policy-making.
These early initiatives stood Austria well as it moved into the European Union whose policy initiatives also centred around environmental issues, less favoured areas, investment, and natural development in general.
The interview explored how farmers go about applying for the government programme; risk reduction for farmers who spend more in planting organically and having the confidence that by selling their yields at a fair price there is in fact a price reduction for the consumer in the marketplace. The federal government also includes funding to the organic farmers to create stronger professional organizations.
For a comparison of the surface difference between the Austrian model of government concern for ethically produced produce for the well being of the average Austrian.
There is also the obscene rush by American and Canadian government officials who are hell bent on the organic industry to be taken over by the Monsanto’s of this world, and their anti-social quest to engineer the quality of food, or indeed if there is sufficient food for selected demographic populations. see: Food Fight: ORGANIC and BACKYARD FARMING being made ILLEGAL? by sara star
The image conjures up thoughts of an Orwellian Corporate control of people as commodities of the genetically engineered corporate agenda.
Genetically engineered food and animal farming pose a threat similar to the current banking and mortgage crises predicated on corporate greed will do more damage than it will be able to control, not in terms of lost money but, more ghoulishly, in lost lives.
source: Centre for Austrian Studies, University of Minnesota: Austrian Studies Newsletter [ASN] Volume 21, No. 1 | Spring 2009 [pdf file, click to pages 6 & 7]
