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Flown-in organic food rule change Flown-in organic food rule change
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Food flown into the UK will be stripped of its organic status unless it meets new stricter ethical standards, the Soil Association has warned.Food flown into the UK will be stripped of its organic status unless it meets new stricter ethical standards, the Soil Association has warned.
The association, which certifies 70% of the UK's £1.9bn organic food sector, says firms must show trade brings real benefit to developing world farmers.The association, which certifies 70% of the UK's £1.9bn organic food sector, says firms must show trade brings real benefit to developing world farmers.
It says it wants all air-freighted food to meet either Fairtrade or its own "ethical trade" standards. It wants all air-freighted food to meet tough "ethical trade" standards.
It says few overseas firms currently meet the planned new standards. But Trade and Development Minister Gareth Thomas said he feared the changes could harm African farmers.
One of the things we assume this will do is eliminate the casual use of air freight Peter MelchettSoil Association The Soil Association says few overseas firms currently meet the planned new standards.
The association's policy director Peter Melchett said some overseas producers would find it impossible to meet those standards. One of the things we assume this will do is eliminate the casual use of air freight Peter MelchettSoil Association class="" href="/1/hi/business/7061136.stm">The organic food debate
The rules will affect the 1% of the organic food market in the UK which is flown in from abroad, about 80% of which comes from low to lower-middle income countries.
The association's policy director Peter Melchett said some overseas producers would find it impossible to meet the standards.
"One of the things we assume this will do is eliminate the casual use of air freight," he added."One of the things we assume this will do is eliminate the casual use of air freight," he added.
Fairtrade-certified producers are given a minimum price covering the cost of sustainable production. Anna Bradley, chair of the Soil Association's standards board, said: "It is neither sustainable nor responsible to encourage poorer farmers to be reliant on air freight but we recognise that building alternative markets that offer the same social and economic benefits as organic exports will take time."
The association's ethical trade standards also aim to ensure a good deal for farmers. The association has decided not to remove organic status from all air-freighted food saying that would hit producers in the developing world too hard.
About 1% of the organic food market in the UK is flown in from abroad. We are worried about the livelihoods of the African farmers who don't meet these extra standards and we're worried about the costs of additional certification for the farmers that do meet the standards Gareth Thomas Trade and Development Minister
About 80% of that comes from low to lower-middle income countries. It says it aims to balance the importance of the organic market for developing countries with rises in CO2 emissions.
Alternative markets Fairtrade-certified producers are given a minimum price covering the cost of sustainable production, and the Soil Association's ethical trade standards also aim to ensure a good deal for farmers.
The association has decided not to remove organic status from all air-freighted food saying that would hit producers in the developing world hard. The government said it welcomed the Soil Association's consultation on the issue, but it criticised the changes arguing they would impede organic exports from developing countries to the UK.
The association says it aims to balance the importance of the organic market for developing countries with rises in CO2 emissions. Trade and Development Minister Gareth Thomas said: "We are worried about the livelihoods of the African farmers who don't meet these extra standards and we're worried about the costs of additional certification for the farmers that do meet the standards."
Anna Bradley, chair of the Soil Association's standards board, said it wanted to encourage farmers not to be reliant on air freight in the future. His concerns were echoed by Patricia Francis, executive director of the Geneva-based International Trade Centre (ITC), which is a joint agency of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the World Trade Organisation.
She said: "It is neither sustainable nor responsible to encourage poorer farmers to be reliant on air freight but we recognise that building alternative markets that offer the same social and economic benefits as organic exports will take time." African farmers 'hurt'
She added: "Our long-term aim is to absolutely minimise dependence on air freight. She said: "African companies and cooperatives want to trade internationally. To get value-added organic foods on to retail shelves, they have an overwhelming amount of standards to meet.
"Whether it will be possible to completely eradicate it is, I guess, an open question." "Meeting these standards costs money - laboratories, audits and more. Too many standards will hurt African farmers, which is just the opposite of what British consumers want.
Unless teleportation becomes viable in the next few years there is no other alternative for them to get their fresh produce to market in good time Flying Matters
Flying Matters, which represents airlines, said it welcomed the decision not to remove organic status from all air-freighted food from farmers in the developing world.Flying Matters, which represents airlines, said it welcomed the decision not to remove organic status from all air-freighted food from farmers in the developing world.
But chairman Brian Wilson said: "Unless teleportation becomes viable in the next few years there is no other alternative for them to get their fresh produce to market in good time."But chairman Brian Wilson said: "Unless teleportation becomes viable in the next few years there is no other alternative for them to get their fresh produce to market in good time."
The Soil Association's planned new measures will be put out to consultation next year. The Soil Association's planned new measures will be put out to consultation next year, and it hopes they will be implemented from January 2009.
It hopes they will be implemented from January 2009.