Global Organics - Should the Big Boys be Allowed to Play?
In the UK we now spend just under £2 billion a year on organics, with an annual increase of about 27%. Supply cannot keep up with demand. Not surprisingly, this consumer message is ringing out loud and clear at the head offices of the big players in the global food economy, and they have acted quickly to fill the gap in demand.
Alarmed by this development, many of the original exponents of the organic movement are warning that what started out as a way of resisting global giants in industrialised food production is now becoming diluted by their presence. These die-hard few, who blazed a trail while the prevailing wisdom was very much in favour of heavy chemical input in farming, deserve to be listened to. Over the last 50 years they have stood steadfast, promoting the ideology that we now, at last, seem to ready to embrace in ever larger numbers.
What’s more, their fears are probably justified. If we wish for global change, however, will we find that involving global players is the swiftest path? As much as we would all love there to be farm shop on every corner, with mothers at home keeping the stockpot bubbling, the sad reality is that very few of us live like that. Buying organic from the supermarket can feel like a way of meeting our needs for wholesome food as ethically as we can manage. It is, after all, a result of us as consumers hearing the cries of the organic movement and realising that this is what we want, that has prompted these global players to act. According to Mary Raynor of Ethical Consumer, today’s organic market is poised in the right position to wield much influence.
“Because of its phenomenal value the organic market can afford to make exceptional demands from corporate suppliers,” she says. “In doing so, organics represents one of the most powerful tools we have, bringing big business kicking and screaming into the corporate responsibility of the 21st century.”
There is a danger however that the presence of such big business in the organic market will put pressure for standards to slip. Whereas most small producers see present organic standards as a minimum, the temptation will be for large producers to campaign to have standards lowered. This is a very real danger and must not be allowed to happen.
Supermarkets have been placed under the microscope for squeezing their suppliers very tightly on price, and this is another risk. Do supermarkets offer organic producers a fair deal? Furthermore, are they forcing producers to throw away large quantities of perfectly edible produce because it does not meet high cosmetic standards?
Millions of us now buy our organic produce through supermarket outlets and there is no denying this has made a positive contribution to its profile and availability. We must however take great care that the balance of power is maintained, and supermarkets are not allowed to swallow up the flourishing organic movement.
If we as consumers can make the commitment to still buy as locally as possible, that is a great way of shopping. Farmers’ markets are becoming more and more common, and offer an opportunity to actually meet the people who have grown our food!
When buying supermarket produce, look for locally grown and UK crops. Do bear in mind, however, that locally grown is no guarantee of locally processed! Feed back to the manager if necessary, to ensure you make your opinions heard!
See our article on Veg box schemes on page… for ways you can make a difference. Rachel’s Organics
In 1999 Rachel sold the company to Horizon – a subsidiary of Dean Foods -the worlds largest dairy processor and distributor, based in Texas. | | | Green & Blacks
Founded I 1991 by Craig Sams and his wife Josephine Fairley. The ‘ green’ in the name is said to reflect the green concerns of its founder – and the ‘black’ of the cocoa bean.
In 2005 it was sold to Cadbury/Schweppes for an estimated 20million (Cadbury/ Schweppes have de-merged since the sale) | | | Seeds of Change
Created in the 80’s by a small organic seed co –op from New Mexico. Was sold to Mars, who have an annual income exceeding 10 billion. In 2004 Mars failed to respond to an international petition urging it to include fairtrade chocolate in its product rang |
Above highlighted company info to be put into boxes
Sources: The Ecologist www.theecologist.com
Ethical Consumer www.ethicalconsumer.com
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