Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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"Organic agriculture, he said, is the foundation of three initiatives he
wants the institute to focus on: global climate change, nutrition and
famine prevention. Helping developing countries, such as China and India,
develop their organic farm programs will be crucial in the fight against
global warming, he said. The principles of organic farming and
sustainability will be key to solving the problems of malnutrition and
famine in many other countries."

Rodale’s New CEO Sets Ambitious Agenda
Fri, 12/07/2007 - 1:20pm.
http://www.lancasterfarming.com/node/971

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Just four months after accepting the new title of
CEO at the Rodale Institute, Dr. Tim LaSalle made it clear that he has an
ambitious agenda for the 60-year-old organization.

LaSalle was the keynote speaker Tuesday at the annual Pennsylvania
Certified Organic Conference at the Ramada Inn here.

LaSalle, who holds a doctoral degree in depth psychology as well as a
master’s degree in populations genetics and a bachelor’s degree in
science, was a professor of dairy science at California Polytechnic State
University for 12 years. At the same time, he managed his own dairy farm
for six years.

He also served as the president and CEO of California’s Agriculture
Education Foundation, executive director of the Northwest Earth Institute
and was the leader of several other non-profit organizations.

LaSalle takes over for John Haberern, who was the Institute’s first
president and retired in June of 2006 after 46 years.

LaSalle’s passion for sustainable agriculture practices came, in part,
from his travels to developing countries in Asia.

“The problems of the world kept walking into my face,” LaSalle said.
“It makes you ask some hard questions.”

One of those questions was what sustainability actually is.

“If you look at the history of humans, it’s not a great track record.
We’re headed in the same direction,” he said.

One way to solve that question, he said, is through a new realization of
what organic agriculture is — through education and new technology.

Organic agriculture, he said, is the foundation of three initiatives he
wants the institute to focus on: global climate change, nutrition and
famine prevention.

“It’s a crucial piece and it’s a passionate piece for me,” he said.

Helping developing countries, such as China and India, develop their
organic farm programs will be crucial in the fight against global warming,
he said.
The principles of organic farming and sustainability will be key to solving
the problems of malnutrition and famine in many other countries.

These initiatives are the foundations for increasing Rodale’s influence
on public policy, including the upcoming Energy Bill and the Global Climate
Change Bill.

He said he wants to help educate people and policy makers on the benefits
of supporting community supported agriculture ventures as well as
“locally grown” programs.

He noted he has been to Washington, D.C. twice a month since he took his
new position.

“As we talk about these things, it gets the staffers in Washington, D.C.
interested. And that’s how we can really effect change,” he said.

LaSalle also wasted no time in taking a position on the controversial issue
of using rbST (recombinant bovine somatotropin) in milk, an issue that has
split opinions all over the state.

He talked about how he helped farmers in Oregon and other states move away
from using rbST. According to LaSalle, science in this country is “well
behind” science in Europe that he said shows the practice is harmful to
cows and humans.

Not surprisingly, he supports milk labeling and giving consumers the choice
of knowing what’s in the food they buy.

“This trend is moving across the country,” he said. “Consumers should
have an opportunity to know what’s in their product.”

Fresh on the job, LaSalle said he has no regrets about setting such an
ambitious agenda. He sees it as continuing the institute’s tradition of
leading the way in organic farming research and opening the door to new
ideas and possibilities.

“It’s a unique positioning but we will take it straight on,” he said.
“It’s very admirable work this organization is doing and it’s great
to be here.”