Organic and/or Environmentally Friendly Food

The UK Soil Association, honorary organic arbiters, are looking at whether foods grown abroad can be certified as organic.

UK supermarkets import over 30 percent of organic foods. The concern is that somehow the impact of air transport dilutes the organic branding, because of the impact of on global warming.

I think the two issues have to be separated. Clearly some people want to understand the chemical inputs required to produce the food. How do you balance that up against out of season unavailability and the cost of food. Others may want to buy local. Are they willing to forego or pay extra to have it available. Is it fair to get on the high horse on this one by driving to the local farmers market to buy organic foods in your Toorak Tractor?

The other issue, which I think that my kids would agree with, is who needs oranic brocolli and brussel sprouts all year around. Part of the attraction of these kinds of foods is that you don't have to eat them all year round.

I notice that they plan to consult with the supply chain. How about chatting with consumers?

David Reevely analyses the issues, along with a suggestion for modified colour coded labelling.

Here in South Australia, there is a noticeable organic component to the vegetable and fruit market. Most of it is grown locally, often on a small scale, but with a significant price premium. The major imports seem to be oranges and other fruits at out of season times. The current dry conditions are increasingly a challenge for this industry and have impacted pricing dramatically.

Supermarkets here label meat and fish products with the location of origin. It is interesting how many of the fish products are flown in. Smoked fish from South Africa and white fish from Vietnam. There is certainly potential to produce exactly the same product here in South Australia, so the primary factor must be price. We do have a huge tuna processing operation at Port Lincoln, much of which is exported to Japan and now the US.

I don't notice this so much with vegetables, suggesting that most of it is home grown and consequently environmentally friendly.

On the subject of farming, Theo reminds us that most food actually comes from farms, not the supermarket. Duh! I had no idea.