Archived press release

Top supermarkets back call for more organic farming

21 January 2002

Seven of the country's top supermarket chains - who between them control more thana third of the UK's grocery retail share [1] - are supporting a campaign for a massiveincrease in organic farming. But the UK's largest retailer, Tesco, which recentlycommitted itself to 1 billion worth of organic sales by 2005 [2], has so far failed to giveits support. The Organic Targets Campaign is calling on Tesco to show its commitmentto UK farmers by backing the campaign before a major London rally on 23rd January.

The Organic Targets Campaign, contacted UK supermarkets, asking them to back itscall for 30 per cent of UK agricultural land to be organic by 2010. Despite a boom inorganic sales in this country, around 70 per cent of organic food is imported fromabroad. Currently about three per cent of UK agricultural land is under organicproduction. ASDA, Booths, Co-op, Iceland, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's andWaitrose have so far responded positively. If the campaign succeeds supermarketscould source more British organic food. Safeway has also failed to give its backing.

On Wednesday 23 January, hundreds of people from across the country are comingto Westminster to attend the Organic Targets Rally and to lobby their MPs forgovernment action to support organic farming [3]. The campaign is already supportedby 144 MPs.

Catherine Fookes, co-ordinator of the Organic Targets Campaign said:

"We are delighted that so many supermarkets are backing the call for a massiveincrease in Britain's organic farming. But we are extremely disappointed thatTesco, the UK's biggest food retailer, has so far failed to give its support,particularly as it has committed itself to an enormous increase in organic sales.Almost three quarters of organic food comes from abroad. Increasing the amountof British agricultural land under organic production will benefit British farmersand reduce the levels of pesticide sprayed in our countryside."

[1]. Figures from IGD Press Release 3rd December 2001, December 2000, Market Share Figures, www.igd.com

[2] Press Release: 1 November 2001. TESCO 1BILLION ORGANIC CHALLENGE
"Tesco today announced a new target to grow its organic market to 1billion within 5 years and challenged British agriculture to help achieve the goal."

[3] The Organic Targets Rally and Lobby takes place at 2pm on Wednesday 23rd January 2002 at Westminster Central Hall and the Houses of Parliament. Speakers include: Louiza Patikas (who plays Helen Archer, from Radio 4's The Archers); Joan Ruddock MP; Charles Secrett of Friends of the Earth; Patrick Holden of the Soil Association; Wendy Wrigley of the Co-op.

The Organic Targets Campaign is supported by more than 100 organisations including retailers, tradeunions, environmental and consumer groups, as well as many back-bench MPs. Steering group: ElmFarm Research Centre, Friends of the Earth, Henry Doubleday Research Association, Pesticides ActionNetwork-UK, Soil Association,Transport & General Workers Union, UNISON, WWF-UK, Secretariat:Sustain: The alliance for better food and farming. More Information on the Organic Targets Campaign canbe found at
www.sustainweb.org/homefra.htm

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust