A recent letter to Dame Angela Eagle DBE MP, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, signed by representatives of 19 organisations, urges the Minister to include an Organic Action Plan for England within the Government’s farming roadmap. It argues that organic farming can play a significant role in addressing environmental challenges identified in the Environmental Improvement Plan, including reducing pollution, improving biodiversity, and delivering social and economic benefits.
The authors note that while demand for organic food in the UK is growing rapidly, organic farmland has declined since its peak in 2008, leaving the UK heavily reliant on imports. They highlight the success of the 2002 Organic Action Plan and call for a renewed plan with a target of expanding organic farming to 10% of agricultural land, alongside renewed support for farmers converting to organic.
The letter concludes by emphasising that organic production can support food security, climate adaptation, soil and water health, and animal welfare, and requests a meeting to discuss practical steps towards finalising an Organic Action Plan for England.
Soil Association briefing: The case for an Organic Action Plan for England
The UK continues to lag behind the European Union with its ambitious targets to get 25% of agricultural land under organic farming and a significant increase in organic aquaculture by 2030. The final conference of the OrganicTargets4EU Project was held in November in Brussels. Entitled “Achieving The EU’s Organic Goals — Progress, Impacts, & Policy Recommendations,” this interactive conference validated findings and policy recommendations to show the path forward to reach the organic targets of the EU in view of the expected scenarios. Results indicate that this target cannot be met without structural policy shifts – as well as stronger supply chain alignment, and greater consumer engagement and capacity building.
IFOAM Organics Europe has welcomed the European Commission’s Roadmap and its recognition that organic farming delivers a wide range of socio-economic and environmental benefits, that it plays a key role in making rural areas more attractive and dynamic and that it represents a strategic asset for the EU’s resilience, strategic autonomy, and the future development of European agriculture.
While the Commission’s proposal to amend the basic act of the organic regulation (published on 16 December) remains, according to IFOAM Organics Europe, rightfully targeted to a limited number of clearly identified issues, the Roadmap titled “Organic rulebook fit for the future – towards a more competitive sector with high standard” sets out the topics where adjustments should be made through secondary legislation as well as updated legal interpretations, guidelines and FAQs, in order to address concrete implementation challenges. Together with the Commission’s commitment to work on an updated EU Organic Action Plan, this package provides continuity and vision for the organic sector in a changing policy context.
Eduardo Cuoco, director of IFOAM Organics Europe, said: “Defining the practicalities of organic food and farming in a way that fits the different territories and conditions of 27 Member States is a complex task. The organic movement welcomes Commissioner Hansen’s intention to better align the organic regulation with realities on the ground without reopening the principles or lowering the high standards of organic agriculture. This is about ensuring that clearly defined and regulated sustainable agronomic, processing and retail practices can be effectively implemented on the ground and taken up by even more farmers and operators.”
Jan Plagge, president of IFOAM Organics Europe, declared: “The organic sector welcomes the Commission’s balanced approach to further improve the organic regulation and to fix a few legal issues, and we call on the European Parliament and Member States to act swiftly so that the targeted revision of the organic regulation can be concluded in a few months, providing the stability and legal certainty needed by all organic operators. This Roadmap is equally important, as addressing implementation challenges primarily through secondary legislation and updated interpretations is the most effective way to ensure that the revision of the basic act remains focused, efficient and free from unnecessary delays. We also welcome the Commission’s commitment to systematically review existing interpretations, guidelines and FAQs, and its acknowledgment that the Roadmap is not exhaustive, leaving room for further adjustment shall these prove necessary. Looking ahead, it is also essential that organic farming continues to be recognised and supported as a priority under the future Multiannual Financial Framework, building on the achievements of the EU Organic Action Plan”.
