I’m fed up with talking about the weather, but I can console myself with the fact we have grabbed every opportunity so far and progress is not too bad.Consumer expectations of organic ‘too high’
CONSUMERS expectations of organic food go ‘significantly beyond’ the standards set for producers, a report from the University of Exeter found.
The report, commissioned by Defra, found a series of misconceptions among organic shoppers and called for improved education to inform consumers of the realisties of organic production.
Such misconceptions include the belief that organic fruit and vegetables are completely free of pesticides and are locally produced while organic milk and meat buyers expect far higher standards of welfare than in conventional production systems.
The report said the expectations are far higher than the requirements for organic certification.
Dr Matt Lobley from the University of Exeter said: “There may be a danger of an ‘expectations gap’ developing between what is legally required of farmers to receive organic certification for their produce and what consumers expect it could deliver.
“There are general assumptions that organic produce is also local and fresh as well as being organic. Organic produce does not automatically have to cover all three areas.
“It appears that some people also use organic as shorthand to finding out what is in the packet without reading all of the contents.”
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Readers' comments (2)
Honest Organic | 27 October 2009 2:08 pm
Organic activists have perpetuated the following myths about organic farming:
-grown without using toxic pesticides
-better for the environment
-safer and healthier
-better tasting
All of these claims are false and misleading. If the consuming public knew the truth about organic farming, they would not pay more for organic products.
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Anonymous | 20 November 2009 2:32 pm
This comment must be from someone who benefits from selling chemicals ! Surely its obvious to anyone who has a mind to understand how food is produced that the fewer chemicals used on our food the better. Lets not forget what these chemicals are intended to do. And pumping them into our soils can't be good for the environment can it ?
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