UK bottom of organic league table

The United Kingdom has been labelled as “the lazy man of Europe” when it comes to supporting organic food and farming.

The Soil Association, a British body concerned with promoting the organic sector, is calling on the government to take action and bring the UK into line with its European neighbours. In a new report released today, the organisation said sales of organic food continued to grow in Austria, Germany, Denmark, France and Switzerland in 2009, despite the effects of the global recession. In the UK, sales fell by 13.6 per cent during the year.

The Soil Association claims successive UK governments have failed to properly back the organic industry, preferring instead to “sit back and snooze”. It is now calling on the coalition to introduce a number of strategies aimed at helping to promote seasonal food in the organic sector.

Peter Melchett, policy director of the Soil Association, said: “The results of our investigation provide a blueprint for the new government to live up to its pledge and to move the UK from the bottom of the European league table when it comes to backing organic.”

In response, a spokesperson from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Organic farming is one of the pioneering approaches to sustainable production and remains influential, but it is not the only one and it would not be right to increase taxpayer support for one particular sector.”