In the last two or three years, there has been an increasing trend by European governments to adjust farm support mechanisms in the direction of less-intensive farming. Some countries have been noticeably more successful than others. Thanks to generous payments under the Agri-Environment Programme of the Common Agricultural Policy, farmers have been quick to respond, belying the fear that mainstream farmers are irrevocably wedded to chemical farming. IN THE UK THE picture is not quite so rosy. Rather than viewing organic agriculture as a major policy option for achieving environmental objectives, the British Government has taken the view that organic food is merely a niche market for the well-heeled.
Financial support is available for farmers only whilst their land is in conversion.
Of all the various organic aid schemes in the European Union, the uk comes out bottom less than half of the eu average and a quarter of that given to Austrian farmers. Consequently, the huge demand for organic food, currently running at around 200 million in retail sales annually, is mostly satisfied by imports. Something like four-fifths of all the fresh organic produce sold through supermarkets comes from abroad. Fruit and vegetables that could easily be grown in Britain are shipped in from mainland Europe, the Middle East and even from as far away as South America. Strong and unambiguous signals from Government that it desires a major expansion of the organic acreage would be a good start.