Eco nursery in Stralsund before the end: Clomazone endangers the future!

Eco nursery in Stralsund before the end: Clomazone endangers the future!

In Stralsund a challenging time for two ecobauers. Artwi van Boven and his partner Agnes Roither run the Tomte nursery in Papenhagen, where they offer fresh vegetables on the market once a week. Your recipe for success: regional, ecologically grown vegetables, certified by the independent place "green stamp". But now this approach threatens to be in danger, by using chemical substances in conventional agriculture in the area.

The farm of Van Boven and Roither, which is extended to eleven hectares, is surrounded by conventional fields on which, among other things, clomazone, a herbicide, is injected. What is allowed for conventional companies could have fatal consequences for their ecological approval. According to the Federal Office for Consumer Protection, Clomazone has been approved for conventional agriculture since 2012, but not for ecological cultivation.

Damage caused by chemicals

Spring 2023 brought the bitter knowledge to the gardeners: the effects of clomazone are devastating. The damage to bushes and plants is particularly evident along the border of your property. The leaves appear bleached, the chlorophyll is pulled out and many plants die. Even a healthy linden tree shows dried branches as if it is suffering in the middle of summer. These damage is directly related to the neighboring conventional agriculture.

Van Boven and Roither document the problems meticulous. Your thick file folder contains photos, reports and numerous minutes of meetings with authorities. But the disappointment remains, because even if Clomazone is detected, this often has no significant consequences for them.

"Clomazone is approved and no violations were found," explains Agnes Roither. But the question remains: How can the coexistence of conventional and ecological companies work in such a narrow space? The Ministry of Agriculture in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is optimistic: A quarter of the companies already work ecologically. Nevertheless, these manage only 16 percent of the arable land, which means that neighboring companies that use chemicals are everyday risks for eco -companies.

In addition, the gardeners are severely affected by new instructions from the State Office for Agriculture. You must not market plants that have "clomazone-typical bleaching effects". The two drive these measures and the necessary documentation of further steps to lose their ecological award.

Despite the restrictive requirements, van Boven and Roither fight for their cause. They ask the authorities to rethink the use of chemical pesticides, such as Clomazone. It is not only an economic question, but also an environmental question. A petition that you collect on the market, among other things, is intended to raise awareness and receive support from the public.

The signature collections take place every Friday, and the two questions from customers answer. The topic that you can no longer sell your products more than ecological ensures great uncertainty among market visitors.

The fate of the Tomte nursery remains uncertain for the time being, while the tensions between different cultivation methods and their consequences are becoming increasingly clear to the environment. Further information on this topic can be found in a report at www.ostsee-zeitung.de .

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Ort	Stralsund, Deutschland