Soil Association Food & Farming Director, Helen Browning has reacted angrily to suggestions organic farmers may be allowed to bend production rules in an attempt to counter the economic downturn.
There had been suggestions that the 5,000 UK organic farmers would then give up the right to label their food “organic” to give themselves some leeway during the harsh economic climate.
In a letter to The Times, Browning said: “All food sold as organic is and always will be produced to full and strict organic standards. There cannot be any bending of the rules.
“All that is being consulted on here is whether land on which animals live, who are meeting every organic standard except for the cereal component of their diet, can maintain its organic status for a limited time period.
“No meat animal that is fed a diet that does not meet organic standards, even for one week, would ever be allowed to be sold as organic. Non-meat-producing animals such as dairy cows would need to undergo the same regime for conversion to organic status as animals that have never been organic.
“The Soil Association is taking evidence on the positives and negatives of such an approach. We have not finally decided whether, all things considered, this is a tenable option, though we will be asking DEFRA for its view on whether, in theory, it would be permissible,” she said.
A spokesman for DEFRA has previously said it was willing to consider the plan if it complied with EU rules.
