strategy
Promoting organic food
Context:
The UK Soil Association provides these ten reasons to eat organic food:<1. [It's healthy] Organic food tends to contain higher levels of vitamin C, cancer-fighting antioxidants, and essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium.2. [No nasty additives] Organic food doesn't contain food additives that can cause health problems such as heart disease, osteoporosis, migraines and hyperactivity.
3. [Avoids pesticides] More than 400 chemical pesticides are routinely used in conventional farming and residues are often present in non-organic food.
4. [No genetic modification] Under organic standards, genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are not allowed.
5. [No reliance on drugs] Organic farming standards prohibit the routine use of antibiotics and growth hormones in farm animals.
6. [No hidden costs] As taxpayers, we pay for chemicals to be removed from our drinking water - including the pesticide runoff from conventional farms.
7. [High standards] Organic food comes from trusted sources that are inspected to ensure compliance to organic standards.
8. [Organic methods provide for animals] Animal welfare is taken very seriously under organic standards.
9. [It's good for wildlife and the environment] The UK government has said that organic farming is better for wildlife, causes lower pollution from sprays, produces less carbon dioxide - the main global warming gas - and less dangerous wastes.
10. [It's flavorful] Many people prefer organic food because they say it tastes better.
Implementation:
The demand for organic produce in Europe has lead to a market driven expansion in organic farming. Austria, which had 200 organic farms in 1980 now has over 20,000. In 1998 it grew 24% of its food organically; 50% of its food exports were organic. In France the organic market in 1997 was worth US $700 million and is growing at 20 percent annually. Demand far outstrips supply. According to the French Ministry of Agriculture, Europe's organic market could be worth $25 billion by 2000.In 1999 supermarkets in the United Kingdom reported organic foodstuffs fast entering the mainstream in customers' buying habits, causing a sudden demand for supermarkets to improve home-grown supplies of organic foodstuffs, which currently provide less than 30% of food on the market. Sales may reach 500m pounds a year by 2000 and supermarkets and organics campaigners hope that will double by 2002, taking 7%-8% of the total market. They have set a 10% target for 2005.
Organizations:
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements Organic Matter Management Network Subjects:
Fundamental Sciences → Organic chemical compoundsAmenities → Food
Communication → Promotion
Type Classification:
E: Emanations of other strategies Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
