By Sophie Morris
I doubt African farmers often await scraps of news from the UK quite as keenly as they did yesterday’s announcement from the Soil Association, over whether they would continue to certify organic food which has arrived here on a plane. The answer, the farmers will have been devastated to learn, was that unless they can prove their business has ethical trading credentials, they won’t find a market for their beans or pineapples in the UK come 2011. No one wants such a blow to be dealt to struggling farmers, but the general consensus is that climate change is a more pressing issue.
Has no one realised that, once Africa gets a firmer foothold on the development ladder and begins to diversify away from the agricultural sector, its factories and exports of manufactured goods will be pumping out far more CO2 than the air freighted food, which currently accounts for just 1% of organic imports to the UK?
Whilst I applaud the Soil Association for its reviews in this area I think we need to weigh against each other exactly how much CO2 is produced bringing this food to the UK and the need of the farmers to feed themselves and their families. Surely there are many other concessions to be made first?
Posted by: JD | Thursday, 25 October 2007 at 11:45 PM
I think everyone has forgotten the purpose of labelling, which is to give consumers clear information about the product they are buying. It is then up to consumers to decide whether or not to buy the product. The decision by the soil association has made the decision for us - which makes the label less useful.
Posted by: Dan | Friday, 26 October 2007 at 12:24 AM
This is outragous! What right have we to suggest developing world farmers shouldn't get a foothold on the development ladder because of the emissions they will produce? How imperialistic can one get?
Posted by: Cofftea Richardson | Thursday, 13 March 2008 at 04:26 PM