British retailers and the trade were lobbying hard at a national and European Union level this week as changes to marketing standards and pesticide regulation loom.
Sainsbury’s launched its own campaign for “ugly fruit and veg” to coincide with Halloween and as a plea to EU regulators on the revision of marketing standards to allow misshapen produce to be marketed.
The supermarket chain slammed marketing standards as “bonkers” and claimed relaxing them could “slash fruit and veg prices by up to 40 per cent”. It wrote to EU farm commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel and to DEFRA secretary of state Hilary Benn to voice its concerns.
Naively, Sainsbury’s had hoped to sell misshapen produce at 10 stores over Halloween, marketing under-sized cauliflowers as “zombies’ brains” and bendy cucumbers as “ogres toenails”, for example. But, at the eleventh hour, the store’s legal eagles pointed out that individual store managers could be prosecuted for the stunt, and plans were shelved.
A spokesman for the European Commission said it had “no interest” in taking action against Sainsbury’s and pointed out that the regulations are already being reviewed, suggesting that the retailer’s action was little more than a publicity stunt.
The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) also questioned Sainsbury’s wisdom. Chief executive Nigel Jenney said: “Sainsbury’s will find that its call for ‘wonky fruit and veg’ is already in hand. FPC advised the industry many months ago that the EU proposed to simplify the marketing standards for fruit and vegetables, and it is likely that we shall see the removal of specific standards for 26 products in 2009, although 10 detailed standards will remain for the major product lines.
“While we welcome the drive to make things simpler for businesses and remove bureaucracy, we would like to ensure that consistent standards allow businesses to trade effectively in the UK and across Europe, and that this change does not proliferate a diverse range of independent standards that will only increase business complexity and cost.
“Therefore, FPC is consulting with DEFRA regarding how the revised marketing standards will come into effect in the UK next year. We expect to announce a consultation early next month.”
And on Wednesday, the European Parliament’s environment committee voted on proposals to introduce cut-off criteria and substitution of crop protection products. But growers, traders and their associations across Europe are continuing to lobby for a full impact assessment to be in place before the vote goes to a plenary session of the European Parliament at some time during the next two months.
The gravity of the situation has now been picked up by the media in the UK. Stories claim that if the proposals go through, prices of fruit and vegetables could double or even triple - depending on whether you read a broadsheet or tabloid newspaper.
The National Farmers’ Union expressed its dismay at Wednesday’s vote. NFU president Peter Kendall said: “We are very disappointed with the position taken by the environment committee, which has failed to understand that having an armoury of plant protection products available to growers is vital to ensure that a sufficient supply of safe and affordable food is produced to meet rising world demand.
“If this position is supported in the forthcoming plenary vote by all MEPs, a great number of vital products could be lost, which will threaten the viability of some sectors.”
The FPC fears that a recent report from Pesticide Action Network on a leaked EU food report, implying pesticide residues in food are increasing, could confuse the public.
Both the NFU and the FPC are urging the UK industry to continue to lobby MEPs ahead of the plenary vote, despite the outcome of Wednesday’s debate.
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