Given the likelihood of additional growth in the number of producers and processors because of economic benefits, and the difficulty of testing produce for organic authenticity, the Committee believes that a paper-based review system for monitoring imports is inadequate. It will be necessary to find an acceptable compromise over minimum distances between organic and GM crops similar to the currently existing rules for preserving seed purity which specify distances between crops grown for seed and all other crops that may cross pollinate. Organic farming brings benefits and Government support is justified. However, ongoing support aimed specifically toward organic farmers is not recommended. Organic farming is not the only way in which environmental goals can be achieved, and devoting resources specifically to organics would reduce the pool of resources for achieving environmental goals within the general farm sector.
Organic farmers can take advantage of existing agri-environment schemes.
That said, the Committee believes there is a strong case for continuing support for farmers making the transition to organic production methods to offset conversion costs. The next review of the existing Organic Farming Scheme should assess whether only certain types of farmland are being converted to organics, and if so, consideration could be given to higher payment rates for certain sectors. The Committee believes it important that both production and processing standards be supported by scientific research. Complete text of the guidelines is available now at the FAO Standards Collection web site. The NOP web site contains background and reference material on the NOP, transcripts of national public meetings, complete text of the first proposed rule, and all official public comments.