Falling organic food sales in the UK reflect a growing recognition among British shoppers that benefits for the environment, healthy eating and animal welfare are not exclusive to organics.
As UK organic food sales fell by a further 3.7% in 2011, Crop Protection Association chief executive Dominic Dyer said:
"It’s not just price that is putting shoppers off, but a growing recognition that organic food is not necessarily better for the environment and has not been proven to be safer, healthier or more nutritious than conventionally produced food."
"The organic food boom is over, and British shoppers are now more willing to pay a price premium for Fairtrade, locally-sourced or higher welfare products."
Welcoming last week’s call by Oxfam for the organic sector to re-think its anti-GM stance, Mr Dyer said global food production would need access to all available tools and technologies in future, and could not exclude particular approaches based on dogmatic opposition.
"This is the third successive annual decline in the UK organic market, which is now more than 20% down on its 2008 peak. It sends a clear warning to the organic sector that continued market growth based on the routine demonisation of other approaches cannot be sustained."
"I would support calls for the organic sector to keep an open mind on the merits of different production systems and technologies, because organic agriculture clearly doesn’t hold all the answers. The challenge of sustainable and secure food production will require an inclusive, collaborative approach, bringing together the best of all systems," he said.
