China and India dominate pesticide import breaches on food
Super funds still destroying the planet
Click and collect with FoE Melbourne’s Food Co-op & Café
Friends of the Earth campaigner Anthony Amis has written a report investigating breaches to Australian food import regulations between the years 2017–19. The data was compiled from ‘Monthly Failing Food Reports’ produced by the Department of Agriculture. The main findings include: • There was a total of 400 pesticide detections at or above Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), with a total of 47 different pesticides breaching MRLs. • China was the country with the most pesticide breaches (148), followed by India (93), Vietnam (44) and Thailand (35). • 201 of the pesticide breaches were insecticides, with 199 of the pesticides being fungicides. The most frequently used pesticide in the world, glyphosate, was not tested for. • 132 companies transported food to Australia which breached pesticide MRLs. • Food types with the most MRL breaches included jujube (Chinese dates) 69, red chilli 40, lychees 35, spinach 28, longan 17, okra 17, green chilli 14, and Indian flat beans 13. • 235 of the pesticides (about 59% of the total) breaching MRLs are defined by the Pesticide Action Network as being “Bad Actors” – pesticides known to be carcinogens, reproductive or developmental toxins, cholinesterase inhibitors, groundwater contaminants or pesticides with high acute toxicity. The report is online at www.foe.org.au/ china_and_india_dominate_pesticide_ import_breaches_on_ food
23 April 2020: Major super funds in Australia are continuing to vote against the majority of shareholder proposals that would improve companies’ climate risk management. By investing our retirement savings in company shares, super funds get a say in how those companies are run. The latest analysis by Friends of the Earth affiliate Market Forces shows 10 of the largest super funds in Australia supported just 38% of the climate resolutions they voted on at Australian and international companies throughout 2019. Just three of the 10 funds supported more than half of the resolutions, while four funds voted for a quarter or less. Earlier this year, Market Forces hit a major milestone with over 10,000 UniSuper members signing the open letter calling on the fund to divest from coal, oil and gas companies. Market Forces made sure the campaign received the exposure it deserves by publishing the open letter as a full-page ad in the Australian Financial Review and there was media coverage in the Sydney Morning Herald, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg and Financial Standard. Read more about Market Forces’ work at www.marketforces.org.au
The Food Co-op and Cafe is a not-forprofit social enterprise. That means every cent you spend in-store or donate goes right back into keeping us running and supports the environmental campaigns at Friends of the Earth. The FoE Food Coop team continues to provide healthy, affordable food during the COVID-19 crisis, and is open for bulk food shopping and takeaway, with hygiene protocols in place. Visit www.foefood.org
Food for bushfire affected wildlife Friends of the Earth Melbourne is working on a mutual aid project to help wildlife and support locals in bushfire affected areas. There’s plenty of ways to help out and we’re looking for anyone who can help either on a regular or one-off basis. We’re currently looking for drivers, nestbox installers, wildlife feeders and also people to source food. This is a great opportunity to help those who have been affected by the bushfires, and to build relationships that can hopefully continue to grow into the future and be drawn upon if need be! To get involved visit FoE’s Food for Wildlife page www.melbournefoe.org.au/ffw_melbourne or email foodforwildlife@foe.org.au www.foe.org.au
Beyond Coal Alliance launched Coal power generation is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. Retiring every coal-burning power station over the next decade – and replacing them with clean energy generation and storage – is one of the most effective ways for Australia to reduce greenhouse emissions. That’s why Friends of the Earth Australia has joined together with six other community-based groups to launch the Beyond Coal campaign. The Australia Beyond Coal alliance member groups represent more than one and a half million Australians. The mission is to empower everyday people with information about the risks of coal-burning power stations, and urge governments and businesses to work with communities on developing a plan for the accelerating transformation in our energy market. More information: www.beyondcoal.org.au
Uranium in NT drinking water For several years, Friends of the Earth Australia has been investigating water quality data, from water authorities across the country, with the goal of better understanding which communities are at most risk from drinking water and what substances are regarded as being the most commonly detected in terms of potential health outcomes. The initial results of the work are online at https://water.australianmap.net One of the concerns arising from this work is that a number of communities in the Northern Territory are consuming drinking water with elevated levels of naturally-occurring uranium. The communities most impacted appear to include Laramba, Wilora, Willowra and Kings Canyon. The combined population of these four communities is about 1,100 people. Ideally, alternative sources of water need to be located and water treatment options provided by the NT government. As a short-term measure, water could be trucked into the communities at most risk and stored in water tanks, where community members could access water. Please email NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner and express your concerns about people being exposed to unsafe levels of uranium in drinking water. There’s an email template at this webpage: www.foe.org.au/uranium_free_water Chain Reaction #138
May 2020
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