Airfreighted organic food to be fairtrade too

Imported, air-freighted food should only be labelled ‘organic’ in the UK if it is Fairtrade too, the Soil Association said yesterday.

After months of consultation, the association’s standards board made its recommendations to change its policy.

Less than 1% of organic produce arrives in the UK by air, but 80% of these products originate in low or middle-lower income countries. The association – and the Fairtrade foundation – argue that being able to sell this produce on the UK market provides a valuable social and economic impact for the home countries.

Air-freighting goods incurs 177 time more greenhouse gases than shipping does, the association admits. Its long-term goal is to minimise air freighting where possible. On average, organic farming consumes 30% less energy than non-organic, the association says.

"It is neither sustainable nor responsible to encourage poorer farmers to be reliant on air freight, but we recognise that building alternative markets that offer the same social and economic benefits as organic exports will take time,” explains Anna Bradley, chair of the Soil Association’s Standards Board.

As for consumers, what do they want? Ethical shoppers are bombarded with several criteria during the course of a trip to the market, and some often choose non-organic rather than organic products if they know the organic version has been flown in. Will the Soil Association’s recommendations make it easier or harder on them?

Peter Melchett, policy director for the Soil Association, said, “The results of our very widespread consultation show that most people in the North and the South say that they only support air freight if it delivers real environmental and social benefits. The linking of organic and ethical or Fairtrade standards does that.”

Photo: Soil Association (fruit and vegetable stall in the market at the Organic Festival 2007)