Release No.0203.00 

Remarks
          As Prepared for Delivery

                            BY
		 DEPUTY SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE ROMINGER
        "REBUILDING THE UNITY OF HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT:
         A NEW VISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH FOR THE 21ST CENTURY"
        INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE - THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
        WASHINGTON, D.C.   JUNE 20, 2000

       " Thank you, Dr. Reiter, for that introduction.  My thanks to the Institute of Medicine and the
Roundtable for this ambitious agenda.  In many ways, Secretary Glickman and I talk a great deal about this
issue.  We wrestle every day with the huge subject of agriculture and its complicated relationship to the
health of the people of this nation. We are aware in everything we do, every action we take, that we're leaving
a stamp on the land and far more   on ecosystems and the well-being of future generations.  We're frequently
frustrated that there's a disconnect between the American public and a true understanding of today's
agriculture.  The public view is still very traditional, stopping at the door of production agriculture. One of
our great challenges is to make America take note and to address on many levels the question: why is
contemporary agriculture important to you?   

        "That's why I appreciate this opportunity to shed light on agriculture's enormous contributions to
human health, the great progress that's been made, the challenges ahead and the links among agriculture's
major systems.

        "Agriculture directly affects human health in two major ways: through the environmental and
ecosystem changes of farm production, and through an available, nutritious supply of food.

        "Agenda 21, which came out of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1989, said that, "Human health
depends on a healthy environment, clean water supply, sanitary waste disposal, adequate shelter and a good
supply of healthy food. 

        "USDA is deeply involved in every one of those issues, including shelter, which our rural housing
programs address.

       " Much of what we do is immediate   putting food in hungry stomachs ... nutrition programs that help
feed one in six Americans each month new food recovery efforts at the community level to get food to those
who need it.

       " Much is forward-looking   new technologies to protect the environment by shifting to lower-risk
pesticides or pesticide alternatives research on greenhouse gas and carbon storage that will affect global
change.

	"Much of what we do is basic   day-in, day-out technical assistance to help private landowners with
conservation practices for the land they know best.

	"And much of it is a modern-day puzzle figuring how to get the biological science of genetically
modified organisms in sync with the social science consumer acceptance.
 
 	"Our goal in the broadest sense is food security, taking that term from food availability through
safety, nutrition and quality. Our path to that goal is environmental health, taking that term from
conservation  through the quality of our resources, sustainability and biodiversity. Underlying our objectives
in both are science, technology and research.  

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

	"To start at the beginning, there's the piece of land that farmers call their own. Their relationship
with the land makes them far more than producers. It makes them stewards of the environment and
guarantors of the nation's future ability to keep producing an adequate supply of food.

	"This falls under the heading of sustainable development   not a new concept, but certainly a dynamic
one that keeps evolving to meet the nation's changing needs.

	"In a broad national sense, it's a challenge to urban and rural communities to keep the farmer on the
land basic to the future supply of food.

	"In the agricultural sense, sustainability recognizes that our farmers can be productive and
profitable, and still be wise stewards of their lands and environment. That concept is captured in the ancient
wisdom of a Kenyan proverb: "Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It is lent to you
by your children." To help the farmer maintain the health of the working land, USDA applies the latest
research to farmers' specific problems and makes new conservation techniques possible. Educational and
technical assistance translates science into practical conservation know-how for producers. And both support
our conservation programs and policies that chart a nationally responsible and sustainable course.

	"With the historic conservation provisions of the 1996 Farm Bill, we brought together all the "parts"
of a healthy landscape   environmental benefits that include not just soil conservation but air, water, soils,
wildlife habitat and the health of rivers and streams. But more can be done.

	"Earlier this year, President Clinton proposed a Conservation Security Program to strengthen the
economic-environmental linkage. By providing direct stewardship payments to farmers with comprehensive
conservation plans, the program highlights the voluntary and locally-led aspect of our private lands
conservation efforts. This is far bigger than a farm issue. Society benefits from a healthy environment, and
the plentiful food it produces. Therefore, society has a stake in assisting farmers to produce healthy
landscapes along with healthy crops.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH

	"One key provision, for example, would boost funds to help producers with nutrient management.
Livestock and poultry production generates $100 billion each year in farm revenue. The fact that improperly
managed Animal Feeding Operations (or AFOs) contribute to water pollution must be balanced with the fact
that they're just one of many contributors. Public criticism of animal agriculture has been triggered by
outbreaks like Pfiesteria in the Chesapeake, excessive runoff from dairy operations, and offensive odors from
hog and poultry operations. But this issue goes well beyond any one sector. 

	"AFOs are a good example of the linkage between environmental and human health that exists in
certain areas of agriculture and how we're gearing our research accordingly.

	"Precisely because this issue is cross-cutting, we're cutting across disciplines in all phases of research
into manure production and runoff ... focusing on nutrient issues, pathogens, and air quality.
 
	"By marrying conservation and science, we hope to achieve a historic contribution to clean water. AT
USDA, we keep pushing the frontiers of our knowledge, the science that stands behind the department's and
the nation's highest priorities. This research not only makes high-tech advances possible, but practical and
workable.advances like the new variety of low phytase corn that, when fed to pigs and chickens ... plainly
put, means almost 50 percent less phosphorus comes out the other end, good news for cleaner water ...
advances like research that explores links ... the link between manure production and excess
nutrients that may contribute to "red tides" and Pfiesteria, causing fish kills and human illness ... the complex
links among fertilizer and manure use, nutrients flowing down the Mississippi River and hypoxia in the Gulf
of Mexico  and the connection between manure management and atmospheric emission of odors and
greenhouse gases.

CLIMATE CHANGE

	"The increasing buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is an indisputable fact. More
debatable is the extent to which greenhouse gas will change the climate over time. For agriculture, one thing
is certain: these emissions present potential risks and opportunities that could have significant consequences
for farm production, prices, and income and ultimately for American food consumers.
Just last week, the Administration released the report of the U.S. Global Change Research Program,
the first such comprehensive effort by any country. For agriculture, the consensus is that production of many
major crops will probably increase. But this may mean up to a 20 percent increase in pesticide use with an
environmental impact that could be substantial.

	"The Federal government is spending about $1.7 billion this year on global  change, with USDA's
work on the carbon cycle a key part of this study.

	"This as a great opportunity for agriculture to be part of the solution. We're exploring agriculture's
capability as a huge sink to absorb and store carbon. By sequestering carbon in agricultural soils, we'd
achieve more than pulling carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and cutting the rate of global warming.
Carbon content is a top indicator of soil health and sustainability. By increasing soil organic content, we'd
improve water holding capacity, fertility, and productivity. We're working with research partners across the
country on agriculture's role in the carbon balance and how it's tracked over time   how farmers and
ranchers can store it in soils   the feasibility of a carbon market   and how farm production decisions,
conservation practices, and government policy can help. These are complex relationships with great potential
for a triple win -- for production agriculture, for climate change, and the public well-being.

FOOD SAFETY AND SECURITY

	"And while we're considering the impact of agricultural systems on global climate, we must also
narrow the focus to the connection between microbial pathogens and food safety to get a full view of
agriculture's link to human health.

	"The English writer G. K. Chesterton once said that "The telescope makes the world smaller; it is only
the microscope that makes it larger."

	"When this Administration came into office in 1993, we got a wake-up call about the imperative of
assuring the safety of the food supply. Four Pacific Northwest youngsters had died from tainted hamburgers.
  
	"Reducing microbial pathogens in foods of both plant and animal origin is the most pressing food
safety problem today. It's estimated that 5,000 people die and 76 million get sick each year from foodborne
illnesses.
 
	"In the past seven years, the Administration's science-based inspection system   Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Points, (or HACCP)   has  resulted in a sharp drop in the prevalence of salmonella in raw
meat and poultry, and a sharp rise in public health protection.
 
	"We've met what we call our "Healthy People 2000" goals for Campylobacter, Salmonella, E. coli, and
Listeria. Cutting across federal agencies to get at the full scope of the problem, the President has directed
Secretaries Glickman and Shalala to develop plans to reduce the risks from Listeria in ready-to-eat foods.
Our proposed regulations requiring microbiological testing by industry should result in a 50 percent
reduction in the number of illnesses caused by Listeria by the year 2005.
 
	"As an update, let me mention that the President's Council on Food Safety, which Secretary Glickman
co-chairs, will complete its response this summer to the President's request for a comprehensive federal food
safety strategic plan. I understand the plan will address many of the issues the National Academy of Sciences,
National Research Council, and Institute of Medicine raised in their widely-circulated and much-discussed
August '98 report on the U.S. food safety system.
    
	"Science and technology innovation are our first line of defense against future food safety challenges.
We monitor national food-borne illness through Food Net. We trace DNA fingerprints of foodborne disease
through PulseNet, the Sherlock Holmes of our detection system.  We've developed a comprehensive farm-to-
table strategy to attack the problem at every link in the food chain.

	"That means looking at entire systems. While our research detects and quantifies pathogens from
plants, animals, and seafood, we also depend on voluntary action on the part of farmers and ranchers as part
of this whole system approach. Pork producers, for example, have done such a fine job with voluntary quality
assurance that they've virtually eradicated Trichina.

	"We're also urging the nation to think out of the box. We tend to associate E. coli O157   a relatively
new human pathogen -- with beef. But the outbreak at a New York state fair last year was traced back to
water, so it's critical that we think of these human pathogens as part of the overall environment.
   
	"On a disturbing note, certain pathogens and other microbes are evolving resistance on a global
scale to traditional control methods, including antibiotics.  This is an extremely high priority and USDA has
already responded with a new antimicrobial resistance research unit.

	"While food safety is a key aspect of a food secure world, it's just part of the  definition. There can be
no security if  food isn't available   and in a perfect world, abundant   and if nutritional needs aren't met.

	"We believe in the promise of biotechnology to achieve food security and environmental benefits
globally. We believe in the safety of biotechnology products. Technology is moving fast. And one of our
challenges is ensuring that regulations keep pace with innovation.  For these reasons, the Administration's
new initiatives will strengthen our science-based regulation of agricultural biotechnology ... prepare for
future innovation .promote market opportunities for U.S. farmers ... and provide consumers with accurate
information and a safe food supply.

	"In connection with getting the word to consumers, I want to mention the intense efforts of Secretary
Dan Glickman to bring this nation the message of nutrition. Our farmers can grow the most abundant, most
healthful, and nutritious produce in the world, but if Americans don't heed the advice of the newly-released
Dietary Guidelines, their diets still get a failing grade.

	"Beyond administering programs that provide nutrition assistance to millions each month ... beyond
running the program that served more than 5 billion subsidized school meals last year ... USDA keeps
breaking new ground to bring nutrition to America.

	"We're asking why we continue to foil ourselves in healthful food choices when we understand the
consequences of poor diet. We've hosted a number of "firsts" to get answers    national conferences on
Childhood Obesity and Dietary Behavior, and the Great Nutrition Debate. And we're applying USDA's vast
research resources to the diet-behavior link to gain insight for a healthier future.

	"This is more a matter of education than farm and agriculture policy. It's as central  to the total
environmental-health connection as conservation measures on the farm and pathogens under the microscope.

	"It's one of our great challenges, along with the challenge to produce in ways that contribute to
environmental and human health... the challenge to convey a greater understanding that USDA does more
than support commodity prices ... and to communicate that food and agriculture policy is part of one great
system. 

	"The issues are too big, too pressing, and too interrelated to accommodate marginalized thinking.
Agriculture is a vast subject with a proud history of progress and innovation, and great potential for
advancing human health. My thanks for giving me the chance to bring full circle   even in a limited way   the
links between the goal of  food security and the environmental well-being crucial to getting there. Thank you.

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