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)

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)

West coast of US has highest concentration of organic consumers - report

San Francisco, California and Seattle, Washington are the biggest markets in the US for organics consumers, making the west coast of the country an organic stronghold, according to a new report.

Scarborough Research analysed 79 markets in the USA and compared them to the national average, where 17% of US consumers are organic product users (which is defined as those who have used organic products in the last month). 23 markets were identified as "organic markets," meaning that the percentage of consumers buying or using organic products was higher than the national average.

In San Francisco, 35% of consumers had used organic products in the last month, the consultancy found, while in Seattle, 32% of consumers went organic.

The top five were rounded out with Portland, Oregon (29%), Denver, Colorado (26%), and Washington, DC (26%, making it the city with the highest concentration of organic product users east of the Mississippi river.)

"Cities such as San Francisco and Seattle have long been known for active, healthful lifestyles, and therefore it makes sense that these are the top markets for organics users," explains Alisa Joseph, vice president of advertiser agency services at Scarborough. "However, the industry should keep an eye on the Southern region of the U.S. , as many markets there have a significant presence of organics consumers as well."

Unsurprisingly, the consultancy found that organics users also had household salaries higher than the national average and spent more on their weekly grocery bills ($127 versus $115). They are also young, and often with families: these consumers are 19% more likely to be between the ages of 18 and 34, and 13% more likely to have two or more children, according to the report.

The Culinary Digest wonders whether California is more likely to have organic consumers because it is location for much of the United States' home-grown fruit, vegetables and wine. Whether these organics products are locally sourced - or, quite likely, imported - is a very important question to answer.

Top local markets for organic product consumers

San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, CA - 35%
Seattle/Tacoma, WA - 32%
Portland, OR - 27%
Washington, D.C. - 26%
Denver, CO - 26%
San Diego, CA - 24%
Austin , TX - 23%
Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, CA - 22%
Boston, MA - 21%
Phoenix, AZ - 21%
Atlanta, GA - 21%
Los Angeles, CA - 21%
Albuquerque/Santa Fe, NM - 21%
Colorado Springs/Pueblo, CO - 21%
Spokane, WA - 21%
New York, NY - 20%
Salt Lake City, UT - 20%
Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville/Anderson, SC - 20%
Tucson, AZ - 20%
Albany/Schenectady/Troy, NY - 19%
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 19%
Dallas/Fort Worth, TX - 18%
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - 18%
Hartford/New Haven, CT - 17%
Detroit, MI - 17%
Milwaukee, WI -17%
Las Vegas, NV - 17%
Philadelphia, PA - 17%
Chicago, IL - 16%
Providence/New Bedford, RI - 16%
Bakersfield, CA - 16%
Honolulu, HI - 16%
Raleigh/Durham, NC - 16%
Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL - 15%
El Paso, TX - 15%
Houston, TX - 15%
Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne, FL - 15%
Baltimore, MD - 15%
Charlotte, NC - 15%
West Palm Beach/Fort Pierce, FL - 15%
Columbus, OH - 15%
Fresno/Visalia, CA - 15%
Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon/York, PA - 15%
Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem, NC - 13%
Jacksonville, FL - 13%
Indianapolis, IN - 13%
Chattanooga, TN - 13%
Cincinnati, OH - 13%
Oklahoma City, OK - 13%
Cleveland/Akron, OH - 13%
Norfolk/Portsmouth/Newport News, VA - 13%
Rochester, NY - 13%
Dayton, OH - 12%
Mobile/Pensacola, FL - 12%
San Antonio, TX - 12%
Wichita/Hutchinson, KS - 12%
Syracuse, NY - 12%
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA - 12%
Kansas City, MO - 11%
Lexington, KY - 11%
Knoxville, TN - 11%
Nashville, TN - 11%
Buffalo, NY - 11%
Richmond/Petersburg, VA - 11%
Flint/Saginaw/Bay City, MI - 10%
St. Louis, MO - 10%
Louisville, KY - 10%
Tulsa, OK - 10%
Pittsburgh, PA - 10%
Fort Myers/Naples, FL - 10%
Memphis, TN - 10%
Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA - 10%
Green Bay/Appleton, WI - 10%
Little Rock/Pine Bluff, AK - 10%
Toledo, OH - 10%
Charleston/Huntington, WV - 9%
Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, MI - 8%
Birmingham, AL - 8%
Des Moines/Ames, IA - 8%
(source: Scarborough Research)

West coast of US has highest concentration of organic consumers - report

San Francisco, California and Seattle, Washington are the biggest markets in the US for organics consumers, making the west coast of the country an organic stronghold, according to a new report.

Scarborough Research analysed 79 markets in the USA and compared them to the national average, where 17% of US consumers are organic product users (which is defined as those who have used organic products in the last month). 23 markets were identified as "organic markets," meaning that the percentage of consumers buying or using organic products was higher than the national average.

In San Francisco, 35% of consumers had used organic products in the last month, the consultancy found, while in Seattle, 32% of consumers went organic.

The top five were rounded out with Portland, Oregon (29%), Denver, Colorado (26%), and Washington, DC (26%, making it the city with the highest concentration of organic product users east of the Mississippi river.)

"Cities such as San Francisco and Seattle have long been known for active, healthful lifestyles, and therefore it makes sense that these are the top markets for organics users," explains Alisa Joseph, vice president of advertiser agency services at Scarborough. "However, the industry should keep an eye on the Southern region of the U.S. , as many markets there have a significant presence of organics consumers as well."

Unsurprisingly, the consultancy found that organics users also had household salaries higher than the national average and spent more on their weekly grocery bills ($127 versus $115). They are also young, and often with families: these consumers are 19% more likely to be between the ages of 18 and 34, and 13% more likely to have two or more children, according to the report.

The Culinary Digest wonders whether California is more likely to have organic consumers because it is location for much of the United States' home-grown fruit, vegetables and wine. Whether these organics products are locally sourced - or, quite likely, imported - is a very important question to answer.

Top local markets for organic product consumers

San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, CA - 35%
Seattle/Tacoma, WA - 32%
Portland, OR - 27%
Washington, D.C. - 26%
Denver, CO - 26%
San Diego, CA - 24%
Austin , TX - 23%
Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, CA - 22%
Boston, MA - 21%
Phoenix, AZ - 21%
Atlanta, GA - 21%
Los Angeles, CA - 21%
Albuquerque/Santa Fe, NM - 21%
Colorado Springs/Pueblo, CO - 21%
Spokane, WA - 21%
New York, NY - 20%
Salt Lake City, UT - 20%
Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville/Anderson, SC - 20%
Tucson, AZ - 20%
Albany/Schenectady/Troy, NY - 19%
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 19%
Dallas/Fort Worth, TX - 18%
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - 18%
Hartford/New Haven, CT - 17%
Detroit, MI - 17%
Milwaukee, WI -17%
Las Vegas, NV - 17%
Philadelphia, PA - 17%
Chicago, IL - 16%
Providence/New Bedford, RI - 16%
Bakersfield, CA - 16%
Honolulu, HI - 16%
Raleigh/Durham, NC - 16%
Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL - 15%
El Paso, TX - 15%
Houston, TX - 15%
Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne, FL - 15%
Baltimore, MD - 15%
Charlotte, NC - 15%
West Palm Beach/Fort Pierce, FL - 15%
Columbus, OH - 15%
Fresno/Visalia, CA - 15%
Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon/York, PA - 15%
Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem, NC - 13%
Jacksonville, FL - 13%
Indianapolis, IN - 13%
Chattanooga, TN - 13%
Cincinnati, OH - 13%
Oklahoma City, OK - 13%
Cleveland/Akron, OH - 13%
Norfolk/Portsmouth/Newport News, VA - 13%
Rochester, NY - 13%
Dayton, OH - 12%
Mobile/Pensacola, FL - 12%
San Antonio, TX - 12%
Wichita/Hutchinson, KS - 12%
Syracuse, NY - 12%
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA - 12%
Kansas City, MO - 11%
Lexington, KY - 11%
Knoxville, TN - 11%
Nashville, TN - 11%
Buffalo, NY - 11%
Richmond/Petersburg, VA - 11%
Flint/Saginaw/Bay City, MI - 10%
St. Louis, MO - 10%
Louisville, KY - 10%
Tulsa, OK - 10%
Pittsburgh, PA - 10%
Fort Myers/Naples, FL - 10%
Memphis, TN - 10%
Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA - 10%
Green Bay/Appleton, WI - 10%
Little Rock/Pine Bluff, AK - 10%
Toledo, OH - 10%
Charleston/Huntington, WV - 9%
Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, MI - 8%
Birmingham, AL - 8%
Des Moines/Ames, IA - 8%
(source: Scarborough Research)

A question of organic

On the face of it, buying organic sounds like the best option: after all, it is considered by many to be the most ethical and natural choice. Of course, it is often the most expensive too, and some claim that the health benefits are spurious. Nonetheless, the organic food and drink market is growing at a steady rate of 10% a year, according to a recent Food-News market report, since 2000/2001, when even higher growth was registered. So what should consumers do?

Three options are available: buy all organic, buy no organic, or buy selectively organic, choosing those products likely to give the most benefits whilst still fitting into the budget. For some, this means buying all fresh foods that are labelled organic, whilst to others, buying organic milk and eggs. These choices are not always particularly informed.

According to the report, fruit and vegetables have increased their share in the growth of the organic market, as have meats and fish, fruit juice, and hot beverages. Dairy and bread products have remained steady, while multi-ingredient products have lost some of their share.

On the face of it, news that organic fruit and vegetables have seen increased growth is a good thing. Many fruits and vegetables are treated heavily with pesticides, according to the US-based Environmental Working Group. However, others aren't, they say, so if a choice must be made, the group recommends certain produce that should always be bought organic. based on its own analysis.

Peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spinach and potatoes were found to have the highest amounts of pesticides. The group found that nectarines tested positive for pesticides most often, over 97% of the time. Peaches and apples were also particularly high.

The cleanest twelve - which often have protective natural outer layers that consumers do not eat - were onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapples, mango, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and eggplant. Tropical fruits pineapple, mango and avocado were the lowest, with over 90% of the samples testing negative for pesticides.

The group's news should be helpful for consumers searching for the areas in which it is most critical to buy organic. The results for other fruits and vegetables not on the list can be found on the group's website.

Organic milk is another common purchase. The Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative reports that sales in the UK are growing at a rate of 30% each year, and the Soil Association claims that the milk is better for the environment, the welfare of cows, and the consumer's health, owing to the natural diet from the cows. And while one recent study has disputed the milk's environmental claims, though not its added nutritional value, the organic choice is not much more expensive than the traditional version, at about 8p per pint more.

The milk cooperative has published a family's guide to "going organic" that touches on the cost implications of the choice and offers advice on how to minimise the budgetary strain:

-buy free-range and organic meats and fish where possible. "Less is more," it says, because the average adut needs only 75 g (3 oz) a day.

-shop around at different supermarkets, or even online, to find the best deal.

-purchase seasonal fruit and vegetables as they are often more nutritious, with less strain to the environment, since they grow naturally

-use the freezer more by making larger batches of recipes and saving them for future use.

Even taking all this information into account, how much will it cost the average consumer? A quick nip to an online supermarket offers an initial perspective:

Nectarines: organic, unavailable. regular, 40p each.
Peaches: organic, 50p each. premium, 40p each.
Braeburn apples: organic, 29p each. regular, 28p each.
Red grapes: organic, £6.22/kg. regular, £2.97/kg.
Celery: organic, £1.05/unit. regular, 68p/unit.
Peppers: organic, 89p each. regular, 68 p each.
Strawberries: organic, £8.30/kg. regular, £4.16/kg.
Cherries: unavailable
Lettuce: organic, 99p/unit. regular, 42p/unit.
Pears: organic, £2.65/kg. regular, £1.99/kg.
Spinach: organic, £6.95/kg. regular, £3.63/kg.
Potatoes: organic £1.33/kg. regular, £1.29/kg.

Milk (2 pints): organic, 81p/litre. regular, 61p/litre.

Chicken (whole): organic, £5.49/kg. regular, £2.39/kg.

Although the units are not all the same, by comparing the prices, the calculations show that the organic food totals £35.47, while the regular food adds up to £19.50. The organic food was 82% more. These numbers will not account for the actual tab at the supermarket, though give an idea of how much more one could expect to pay by simply choosing the most necessary organic foods.

A question of organic

On the face of it, buying organic sounds like the best option: after all, it is considered by many to be the most ethical and natural choice. Of course, it is often the most expensive too, and some claim that the health benefits are spurious. Nonetheless, the organic food and drink market is growing at a steady rate of 10% a year, according to a recent Food-News market report, since 2000/2001, when even higher growth was registered. So what should consumers do?

Three options are available: buy all organic, buy no organic, or buy selectively organic, choosing those products likely to give the most benefits whilst still fitting into the budget. For some, this means buying all fresh foods that are labelled organic, whilst to others, buying organic milk and eggs. These choices are not always particularly informed.

According to the report, fruit and vegetables have increased their share in the growth of the organic market, as have meats and fish, fruit juice, and hot beverages. Dairy and bread products have remained steady, while multi-ingredient products have lost some of their share.

On the face of it, news that organic fruit and vegetables have seen increased growth is a good thing. Many fruits and vegetables are treated heavily with pesticides, according to the US-based Environmental Working Group. However, others aren't, they say, so if a choice must be made, the group recommends certain produce that should always be bought organic. based on its own analysis.

Peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spinach and potatoes were found to have the highest amounts of pesticides. The group found that nectarines tested positive for pesticides most often, over 97% of the time. Peaches and apples were also particularly high.

The cleanest twelve - which often have protective natural outer layers that consumers do not eat - were onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapples, mango, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and eggplant. Tropical fruits pineapple, mango and avocado were the lowest, with over 90% of the samples testing negative for pesticides.

The group's news should be helpful for consumers searching for the areas in which it is most critical to buy organic. The results for other fruits and vegetables not on the list can be found on the group's website.

Organic milk is another common purchase. The Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative reports that sales in the UK are growing at a rate of 30% each year, and the Soil Association claims that the milk is better for the environment, the welfare of cows, and the consumer's health, owing to the natural diet from the cows. And while one recent study has disputed the milk's environmental claims, though not its added nutritional value, the organic choice is not much more expensive than the traditional version, at about 8p per pint more.

The milk cooperative has published a family's guide to "going organic" that touches on the cost implications of the choice and offers advice on how to minimise the budgetary strain:

-buy free-range and organic meats and fish where possible. "Less is more," it says, because the average adut needs only 75 g (3 oz) a day.

-shop around at different supermarkets, or even online, to find the best deal.

-purchase seasonal fruit and vegetables as they are often more nutritious, with less strain to the environment, since they grow naturally

-use the freezer more by making larger batches of recipes and saving them for future use.

Even taking all this information into account, how much will it cost the average consumer? A quick nip to an online supermarket offers an initial perspective:

Nectarines: organic, unavailable. regular, 40p each.
Peaches: organic, 50p each. premium, 40p each.
Braeburn apples: organic, 29p each. regular, 28p each.
Red grapes: organic, £6.22/kg. regular, £2.97/kg.
Celery: organic, £1.05/unit. regular, 68p/unit.
Peppers: organic, 89p each. regular, 68 p each.
Strawberries: organic, £8.30/kg. regular, £4.16/kg.
Cherries: unavailable
Lettuce: organic, 99p/unit. regular, 42p/unit.
Pears: organic, £2.65/kg. regular, £1.99/kg.
Spinach: organic, £6.95/kg. regular, £3.63/kg.
Potatoes: organic £1.33/kg. regular, £1.29/kg.

Milk (2 pints): organic, 81p/litre. regular, 61p/litre.

Chicken (whole): organic, £5.49/kg. regular, £2.39/kg.

Although the units are not all the same, by comparing the prices, the calculations show that the organic food totals £35.47, while the regular food adds up to £19.50. The organic food was 82% more. These numbers will not account for the actual tab at the supermarket, though give an idea of how much more one could expect to pay by simply choosing the most necessary organic foods.