Vietnam going Organic to Mitigate Agent Orange Impact

Dioxin fallout leads to organic farm
VNS
11/16/04

Thu Phuong

HA NOI < Although American John Berlow knows he cannot undo the damage
caused to the Vietnamese people by Agent Orange in the past, he believes he
can at least reduce the amount of chemicals the victims are exposed to
today.

Since July this year, Berlow, 55, has been visiting the Van Canh Commune in
Ha Tay Province to grow organic vegetables in an attempt to improve the
health of Agent Orange victims at the Friendship Village and increase
awareness of organic agriculture more widely.

The village, set up in 1998 by George Mizo, an American war veteran, and
the Central Committee of the Veterans Association of Viet Nam, provides
free health care and education for about 120 children and 30 war veterans
who are victims of Agent Orange.

"Organic farming helps reduce the amount of pollution in the environment,"
Berlow said. "It¹s safe for farmers, safe for consumers, safe for other
species. In a sense, it is the opposite of Agent Orange. I hope to help
raise awareness about Agent Orange by placing an organic garden right in
the middle of a centre which cares for victims of Agent Orange."

Chemically treated foods have caused poisoning cases in Viet Nam, which
worried village cooks such as Nguyen Thi Nam.

"We used to buy the best vegetables in the village for our meals, but we
could still not be sure they were safe because they were not organic," said
Nam. "Now we do not worry."

Setting up the project was not initially easy.

When Berlow first came to the village, the plot of land designated for the
1,000 sq.m garden was full of stones, rubbish and dirt.

With the help of volunteers, such as students from Ha Noi, some of his
friends and local children, the ground was cleaned in a month.

The Ha Noi Organics Company provided the project with technical assistance
and training for the local farmers, especially on how to make compost.

The garden produces many types of Vietnamese vegetables, including cabbage,
kohlrabi, tomatoes, cai ngot and cai cuc.

Berlow is currently developing a marketing strategy to sell surplus crops
in Ha Noi.

He is also considering a plan to clean up the fish pond behind the village,
and to revive perennial plants such as oranges, pomelos, longans and
litchis without using chemicals.

However, to realise any of these goals he will need more financial
assistance. Unfortunately, the village cannot help because it is a charity
organisation with little money to spare.

"We welcome his project," said village director Nguyen Khai Hung. "We also
sympathise with him as he himself has had to mobilise cash for the project
since the beginning."

A student protester in America of the war in Viet Nam, Berlow was dismissed
from Harvard for his anti-war activities and later graduated from Boston
University with a music degree and from Boston University School of Law. He
worked in the field of software development and as a book editor, but also
travelled extensively.

While travelling, he worked as a field worker, a tractor driver, a factory
worker, a translator and editor. Three years ago, he settled in Ha Noi,
first working as an English-language teacher.

But, he says, doing this project is exactly what he wants to be doing.

He also supports the on-going lawsuit against the US chemical firms by
Vietnamese Agent Orange victims.

"The US hasn¹t had the decency to de-contaminate the land or compensate the
victims, who are still suffering the effects of the war," Berlow said.

He hopes in some small way, his garden will help. < VNS