Pakissan.com; The way ahead for organic food and farming

develop sustainable has been published this week by the UK's department of environment, food and rural affairs (DEFRA).

An enhanced Organic Farming Scheme, new research funding, and an undertaking by the major retailers to work with producers to increase the UK organic market are key components within the Plan, drawn up following recommendations in the Curry report.

The Plan looks at the organic food chain as a whole and seeks to address the key issues that will assist the development of the sector. It was produced with full co-operation of the stakeholder group who recognise that action is not just for Government but requires the whole of the food chain to work together. Its constructive approach in the development of the plan indicates that this dialogue should continue in a very positive way.

Launching the Action Plan, Organic Farming Minister Elliot Morley said:

"This is an excellent example of the whole food supply chain working together to develop a long term sustainable action plan for the organic sector.

"Organic production has an important contribution to make, alongside other sustainable farming methods, to the future prosperity of our countryside and the choices available to consumers."

Among the action points in the Plan are:

A clear statement of the objectives, including an objective for British organic producers to achieve similar market share levels to conventional producers (Section 1) and of the rationale, including a description of the benefits offered by organic farming (Section 2);
A new Advisory Committee on Organic Food and Farming will be established in April 2003 to advise Ministers on EC organic standards, their application in the UK, the approval of organic certifying bodies and the on going implementation of the plan. A further, more detailed, announcement will be made soon about this new Advisory Committee that will replace UKROFS;
Agreement that in order to help UK producers to compete effectively on the British market, all certifying bodies should offer certification to base line standards which would incorporate requirements additional to the EU Regulation only where these are necessary to clarify the practical application of the standards or otherwise helpful to industry (Action Points 2 & 3);
A commitment from the multiple retailers to work with the Organic Action Plan Group to identify opportunities for increasing British producers' share of the organic market, and a statement that individual retailers will seek to support producers in making use of these opportunities (Action Point 5);
A commitment that the Food Chain Centre will include the organic sector in its promotion of business performance (Action Point 8);
A commitment that Government will take forward action to encourage sustainable public procurement of food, including procurement of organic food, together with clarification of the public procurement rules as they apply to organic food and small local suppliers (Action Points 11 & 12);
DEFRA to set aside £5 million over the 5 years from 2003/04 to support the organic sector's research priorities through the LINK programme;
An amendment of the Organic Farming Scheme to offer interim ongoing payments to organic farmers who have completed conversion, and to increase the conversion aid for top fruit production, coupled with an undertaking to develop new specific support measures for organic farming within the new agri-environment scheme structure being developed post-Curry (Action Points 16-18).

Courtesy Business Recorder

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