We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.BBC accused of organic bias
COUNTRYFILE, the BBC’s flagship rural programme, has been accused of a bias towards organic farming.
John Craven presented a show on October 11 which included an item on the decline in organic food sales and what the organic industry could do to revitalise consumer interest.
But the Crop Protection Association (CPA) said the programme ‘failed to present a fair and balanced view on the benefits of organic compared to conventional food production’.
During the show Mr Craven interviewed a representative of the Organic Trade Board, a spokesman for leading organic brand Duchy Originals and the branding expert Marcel Knobil, who was given the task of coming up with a new marketing campaign to promote organic food scales.
However, the programme did not include any interviews with representatives from the non-organic food industry.
An independent review of the programme by CARMA Global Media Analysts, commissioned by the CPA, said Countryfile portrayed organic food in a ‘very favourable manner’ while non-organic food was portrayed ‘neutrally’.
Dominic Dyer, chief executive of the CPA, said: “The BBC needs to be reminded of its obligations to licence payers to remain impartial on all controversial issues.”
Mr Dyer has now written to Sir Michael Lyons, the chairman of the BBC Trust, to request more balanced coverage in the future.
Readers' comments (4)
Adam Wakeley | 20 November 2009 1:44 pm
After the extremely biased and one sided FSA report on nutrition in organics (where organics was undermined by a single element of what it stands for and ignored the primary reasons for organics) it's a refreshing change to see someone at last paint a favorable and fair light on - lets face it - a really good farming system. Clearly the non organic family in the program who tried an organic meal and loved it felt there was benefits to organic over the conventional foods they have always bought (ie better taste) - that seems to me to be pretty, independent, fair and conclusive.
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dr sd rothwell | 20 November 2009 2:37 pm
Conventional food, grown professionally is as flavorsome, healthy and environmentally sustainable as organic.
I say this as someone involved in its production for the UK’s leading multiples (and we farm organically too).
Likewise organic food produced in an unprofessional way will be inferior to conventional – it can be very unsafe from a microbiological perspective.
It’s all about balance. There good and bad conventional and organic growers out there.
And do remember, eating organics is a lifestyle choice, affordable only in the more affluent sectors of the developed world.
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Adam Wakeley | 20 November 2009 6:07 pm
weeping statements from any source about one form of production vs another delivers an inaccurate picture for both as so much is down to the individual farmer or producer and down to variety, speed to market etc to insure best eat or taste.
It doesn't help anyone when the two systems slug it out as ultimately getting people in general to eat fresh produce has got to be a good thing. It is about choice and my choice is that i want food that has been grown without artificial chemicals (I too come from a conventional farming background and seeing whats involved have moved to being organic). I do however firmly believe that from an environmental perspective organic production is more eco friendly.
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Tim Waygood | 25 November 2009 8:03 pm
These are the members of the CPA - possibly they have a bias ?
Members - List
A H Marks & Co Ltd
BASF
Bayer CropScience
Bayer Garden
Belchim Crop Protection
Certis Europe BV
Chemtura
Doff Portland
Dow
DuPont UK
Fine Agrochemicals
Headland
Makhteshim Agan
Monsanto
Nomix Enviro
Nufarm
Syngenta
Taminco
The Scotts Company (UK) Ltd
United Phosphorus
Vitax
Westland Horticulture
William-Sinclair Horticulture
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