Organic farmers debate new measures

22 December 2008 12:42pm

Organic farmers are discussing the possibility of new rules to survive the economic downturn.

A number of possible measures are being debated, including allowing farmers to use conventional feed instead of organic food concentrate, a UK certification body said.

Organic Farmers & Growers said this would mean animals given conventional feed would lose their organic status but the rest of the farm could continue to maintain organic standards and retain its certification.

A spokesman said the scheme was one of "many scenarios" under discussion by organic certification bodies and other interested groups.

He denied that there was a "panic" among organic farmers in the face of the financial crisis.

He said: "What we are looking at here is if things get worse in the future. Feed costs are high and that could increase and have a greater impact in the future.

"I suppose it is preparing for the worst and hoping it does not happen. There is extra pressure but there is not a great panic amongst the organic community at the moment."

The proposals come after a study revealed last month that consumers are turning away from organic products in the face of worsening economic conditions.

Just 31% of shoppers surveyed in an Ipsos Mori poll thought buying organic was important while 48% did not care if a product was organic or not. The poll found 64% of consumers thought organic products were too expensive in the current climate.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "While we've not yet been approached about relaxing the rules on feeding organic dairy stock, we would, of course, consider any requests from the industry sympathetically."

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