APPENDIX 7
Memorandum submitted by Jo Ripley, Friends
of the Earth, Devizes & Marlborough (F 8)
I would like to make a contribution on behalf
of Devizes and Marlborough Friends of the Earth to the inquiry
into organic farming which is to be conducted by the Agriculture
Committee.
Overall organic farming provides more employment
than conventional farming which in turn has a beneficial knock-on
effect on the local rural economy.
Demand for organic produce has greatly increased
and the UK has to import about 80 per cent of organic fruit and
vegetables to meet domestic demand. This is clearly a lost market
opportunity.
The UK lags behind many European countries in
targets set for organic conversion and production. I organise,
on behalf of our group, monthly Farmers' Markets in Marlborough
and am unable to have organic vegetables on sale throughout the
year (which, to fit the criteria of Farmers' Markets must be of
local origin) because of lack of availability. The demand, however,
is very high.
I have organic producers of meat and fish and
other producers under conversion to organic production. For one
this was a more recent decision and was made difficult when organic
conversion grants "ran out", similarly, a farm manager
of a very large local farm (not involved in the Farmers' Market)
who planned to convert approximately 1,000 acres faced uncertainty
for the same reason, before the government decided to inject more
money into these. There has to be a secure financial structure
for farmers to plan and implement the process of conversion.
The growing of Genetically Modified crops poses
the greatest threat to organic production from the threat of cross-pollination
and from contamination of seed. A buffer zone between any GM crop
and organic farms and smallholders, fruit and vegetable growers
and orchards must be six miles to safeguard organic status and
public confidence. Unlike beehives, land cannot be removed to
a distance beyond likely contamination distances. Current buffer
zones round the farm-scale trials are wholly inadequate and it
is vital that legal redress and compensation is available for
any contamination that occurs.
The government needs to change the charging
structure for abattoirs in line with the rest of Europe, as I
understand, so that the costs for vet inspection do not fall disproportionately
on small and medium-sized abattoirs. The charging should be on
a "per head" basis. The closure of smaller, local abattoirs
from the restructured government charging system, will have a
detrimental effect on organic meat production; the costs will
be prohibitive for small farmers and, for others, there is animal
welfare concerns since animals will have to travel much greater
distances.
24 May 2000
Addendum: The Soil Association's Biodiversity
Report provides evidence that organic farming is better for
wildlife than conventional farming
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