Consumer attitudes in North-west England to organic and regional food

The market for organic foods in the UK is considered to be one of the leading ones in Europe, and world-wide is estimated to have a value of £1 billion (SA, 2003). The main reason why consumers buy organic food is considered to be health benefits, followed by taste. Of growing importance also are concerns for the environment and animal welfare, but these more altruistic concerns remain less important then personal ones. The rapid increase of demand for organic food over the last few years is seen to be the result of various food-scares (Farodoye, 1999; MINTEL, 1999; SA, 1999; Datamonitor, 2002). The development of the market appears, therefore, driven primarily by consumers, but retailers, especially the multiples, have had a key role in furthering growth, promoting products, increasing range and aiding farmers to convert. The majority of what are considered to be "heavy" organic buyers are in Greater London and the South East. Organic farming is also frequently associated with the promotion of food production and short supply chains, i.e. consumption close to the place of production. This implies that organic food must be purchased by consumers in rural areas near to where most of it is grown, and last year the sales of organic food through farmers' markets, box schemes and farm shops reached a dynamic growth rate of nearly 30 per cent, higher than the organic sector as whole. However, most organic food in the UK remains purchased through supermarkets (SA, 2003). Consumer studies do not differentiate between urban and rural consumers, so that the available knowledge reflects general, rather than specific, trends. This paper present results of a series of focus groups carried out in North-west England in the city of Lancaster, in order to supplement existing survey knowledge of consumer attitudes to organic food in relation to more rural areas and attitudes to organic marketing initiatives. The work was carried out as part of a larger EU-funded project on Organic Marketing Initiatives and Rural Development (OMIaRD QLK5-2000-01124), in support of a case study of one Organic Marketing Initiative in the region

Organic Farming as an European Innovation System

he paper explores how organic agriculture fits into the framework of innovation systems that is becoming more widely accepted in supporting innovation also in agriculture which is faced with many societal challenges. It explores the need to better understand the role of different types of innovation and in particular the role of knowledge and how joint learning systems for sharing different types of knowledge can be developed

Evaluation criteria for including feed materials in Annex II C and dietary supplements in Annex II D of the EC-Regulation 2092/91

Organic livestock farming is intended to contribute to the equilibrium of agricultural production systems; establish and maintaining an interdependence between soils, plants and animals; is land-related ruling out landless productions, and should support the development of a sustainable agriculture. The criteria for the evaluation of non-organic and organic feed inputs should be consistent with these principles of organic livestock production. This report provides an overview of issues to be considered with regard to the inclusion of criteria for non-organic and external feed materials in the further development of the EC-Regulation 2092/91 on organic food. The various implications of a criteria based approach are discussed in relation to the main objectives and principles in organic production. A system approach is recommended to provide a tool for balancing the divergent and ambivalent issues in relation to the inclusion of non-organic and external feed material on the different levels relevant in organic production

Communicating with organic producers in Wales

This paper reviews the services and activities through which the research and development community communicates with producers in Wales. These include publications (in hard copy and electronic media), one to one advisory services and group activities. It examines the appropriateness of different approaches for different situations, and makes the case for better integration of services under the new rural development plan

Expert perspectives on the future of the organic food market: results of a Pan-European Delphi study

A Delphi Inquiry was carried out to assess the prospect and conditions affecting the overall growth in the European Market for organic products in the coming decade, and to provide support for research. Countries were classified as established, growing and emerging, according to the state of development of their organic market. The survey confirmed the importance of factors influencing the development of the organic food market: the supply base, the role of supermarkets as sales channels and of government support. Organic Producer Initiatives were seen as important in securing a fair deal for organic producers but managerial capacity and professionalism are key challenges for such organizations

Dairy farms: constraints and recommendations for enhancing health, welfare and food saftey (Workshop results)

Results - It is necessary to improve the information to the public (who are the taxpayer and pay the subsidies) about organic farming as a system, that improves animal health and welfare. - Consumers must get accurate information about the organic products they buy. - Producers should be informed about organic farming before they convert (so they know what to expect): they should be told about the regluations and pointed to the available information about organic farming. - Veterinarians should be informed (part of the teaching curriculum in vet schools) about the holistic system, the importance of preventive health management on organic farms and about alternative treatments. - In communication to the policy makers (the government), organic farming should be presented as a different farming system and not as a conventional system with some alteration

Final project report: EEC 2092/91 (ORGANIC) Revision

This report summarises the findings of the project that have been presented in a number of separate reports and publications. In the Chapters 2 to 5 the approach, results and conclusions of the project are summarised, following the structure of the different work packages. Chapter 2 summarises the work on ethical values of organic agriculture. Chapter 3 looks at the differences in the implementation of Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 across Europe and compares the European Regulation with international standards. Chapters 4 and 5 summarise the findings that relate to reducing the dependency on non-organic inputs in the case of feed and seed. The final Chapter 6 consolidates the recommendations of the whole project arising from the various different work packages in one place. Recommendations are aimed in particular at the second stage of the ongoing revision process of the European Regulation, the transfer of the detailed rules from the Annexes of the Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 that is expected to start after the completion of the project. Further recommendations for standard setting bodies, regulators and research recommendations are also presented. The overall objective of the project was to provide recommendations for the revision and further development of the Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 and other standards for organic agriculture, broken down into a number of specific objectives that resulted in 12 seperate reports. The basic ethical values and value differences of organic agriculture in Europe was identified through stakeholder consultation (D 2.1) and through literature as part of developing a procedure for balancing and integrating the basic values in developments of EU regulation (D 2.3). Organic standards from national and private organisations in Europe were compared with the EU regulation with help of database (www.organicrules.org) and differences were analysed to give recommendations on further harmonisation of the EU regulation (D 3.2). The knowledge on how to achieve 100 % organic rations in diets for livestock was expanded through a meta-analysis of literature and an overview of the current situation to characterise the availability of protein sources for 100% organic diets for pigs and poultry was produced (D 4.1 part 1 and 2). Criteria for use of organic inputs, evaluation criteria for Annex II C: Feed materials and Annex II D: Dietary supplements of Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 were developed (D. 4.2). A guide for operators was developed (D 4.3). The knowledge on how to reduce the use of non-organic seed and vegetative propagation materials was improved through reports on seed borne diseases in organic seed and propagation material (D 5.1), on the importance of quality characterising in organic seed and propagation material (D 5.2) and analysis of national derogation regimes (D 5.3). The project produced 12 reports, 7 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, and a project web-page at www.organic-revision.org where all reports and further documents are available. It organised 3 workshops with stakeholders and had ongoing communication with the Unit on Organic Farming in DG Agriculture responsible for the Organic Regulation. Members of the team produced in total more than 250 dissemination items

The Policy and Regulatory Environment for Organic Farming in Europe

Organic Farming is one of the key issues in reshaping European agricultural policy. This book clarifies the policy and regulatory environment within which organic farming currently operates in all EU-15 member states and in three non-EU countries (Norway, Switzerland and the Czech Republic). European and national regulations and their implementation are reviewed. Focus is led on agri-environmental and mainstream agricultural support measures, marketing and regional development programmes, certification systems and organic farming support in the form of advice, training and research. The book aims at policy makers, the private sector, researchers and students in the field of economics and politics of organic farming

Organic Farming Development and Agricultural Institutions in Europe: A Study of Six Countries

Cooperation between general agricultural institutions and the organisation of the organic farming sector are key factors for the development of organic farming. This study analyses the relationships of organic farming organisations with other farmers' organisations, agencies of agricultural policy and food market firms in six European countries. On this basis it identifies a path for successful development of organic farming which is adaptable to the special conditions of all European countries. This book presents the most systematic and in-depth comparison of the dynamics of organic farming development to date, providing concrete suggestions for a line of action for everyone with an interest in developing organic farming

Modelling Organic Dairy Production Systems

In this study, a large number of organic dairy production strategies were compared in terms of physical and financial performance through the integrated use of computer simulation models and organic case study farm data. Production and financial data from three organic case study farms were used as a basis for the modelling process to ensure that the modelled systems were based on real sets of resources that might be available to a farmer. The case study farms were selected to represent a range of farming systems in terms of farm size, concentrate use and location. This paper describes the process used to model the farm systems: the integration of the three models used and the use of indicators to assess the modelled farm systems in terms of physical sustainability and financial performance