Organic action plan welcomed29 July 2002
The Organic Targets Campaign, which includes Friends of the Earth, has been calling on the Government to set a 70 per cent market share target by 2010, and is now calling on UK supermarkets to follow suit. Only 30 per cent of organic produce currently sold in the UK is home-grown. According to a report from the National Farmers Union, nearly a third of British organic farmers are currently losing money.
Co-ordinator of the Organic Targets Campaign, and Organic Action Plan advisory panelist, Catherine Fookes, said: "After three years hard campaigning I am delighted that the Government has agreed to ensure that 70 per cent of organic produce sold in this country should come from UK farmers, and produced an action plan to help them achieve it. With Government support our organic farmers can now begin to compete with the rest of Europe. But the Government must also produce a timetable for reaching its organic target, and ensure that UK farmers are adequately rewarded for the organic food they produce."
Sandra Bell, Food Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said: "At long last the Government is proposing the sort of action needed for UK farmers to enefit from the organic boom. This is good news for British farmers, consumers and the environment. But we need adequate funding to make it happen. Supermarkets also have a crucial role to play. They must pay farmers a fair price for the organic food they produce, and follow the lead of Waitrose and Sainsbury's by setting targets for reducing their use of imported organic food. GM crops remain a threat to organic farming. The Government must not undo its good work by allowing GM crops to be commercially grown in the UK."
Key features of the plan include an objective for British organic producers to achieve similar market share levels to conventional producers (currently around 70 per cent); on going payments to organic farmers who have completed conversion; encouraging public sector consumers, such as schools and hospitals, to buy more locally-supplied organic produce.
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