English farmers are being backed to unlock the growing organic
market, creating stronger farm businesses and more homegrown
food.
Launched today (Wednesday 14 October) by Environment Secretary
Dame , the Organic Action Plan
sets out measures to grow the domestic market, including advice
and support for farmers considering the transition to organic
production and more opportunities to sell organic food in the UK.
Organic food sales are now worth more than £3.9 billion a year
and rising. The plan aims to help English farmers capture a
greater share of this growing market, with an ambition to
increase the share of agricultural land farmed organically from
around 3.4% towards 10% by 2036.
The plan also sets out ways to improve supply chains, getting
more organic products more swiftly on supermarket shelves and in
restaurants as well as opening up new markets in the UK and
abroad.
Farms such as Shimpling Park Farm in Suffolk are already showing
how organic production can work at scale, helping to regenerate
soils, cut carbon emissions and encourage wildlife, while
supporting neighbouring farms to produce organically and building
a profitable farm business.
Environment Secretary Dame said:
People are buying more organic food, and we want English farmers
to be in a strong position to respond to that demand.
Our Organic Action Plan for England is about opening up
opportunities across the sector, from backing farmers already
producing organic food to helping others decide whether it could
work for their businesses.
Demand for organic food is growing. By strengthening the market
here at home, we can help more English farmers benefit from the
demand on our shelves.
The plan focuses on three areas: supporting existing and new
organic producers and processors; bringing domestic supply more
in line with demand; and building demand for English organic
products through greater consumer awareness and public sector
procurement. Riverford Organic Farmers in Devon shows how strong
demand can support domestic production, with around 70% of the
produce in its boxes grown in the UK and long-term relationships
with organic growers helping provide a secure route to market.
The plan puts the Government's commitment in the Farming Roadmap
to 2050 into action, giving farmers greater confidence to invest
in profitable and resilient businesses.
It also recognises the potential benefits of organic farming for
soil health, biodiversity, water quality and animal welfare,
while respecting that farmers will choose the production systems
that work best for their businesses.
For shoppers, this means more organic choice on supermarket
shelves, in local shops and restaurants, with more of it grown in
England.
Stakeholder quotesSos Stopes, Co-chair
of the English Organic Forum and Policy Advisor to Organic
Farmers & Growers CIC, said:
It is encouraging to see the Organic Action Plan for England
published. The English Organic Forum, representing the organic
sector, has worked hard with Defra on the development of a
credible plan.
Defra's leadership and the positive support of the Environment
Secretary Dame for growth in the organic
sector is a well-deserved acknowledgement of the practical ways
that organic farming helps deliver the government's environmental
ambitions.
Adrian Steele, Co-chair of the English Organic Forum and
Soil Association Farming Advisor, said:
An Organic Action Plan for England is a win for the UK's food and
farming system.
It recognises that more organic land can help the government to
deliver its wider environmental goals, from healthier soils and
cleaner water to more biodiversity and less reliance on
artificial inputs like pesticides.
With growing consumer demand for organic often being met by
imports, we have long called for a more joined-up approach that
breaks down supply chain barriers and helps farmers meet that
demand.
England has an innovative and entrepreneurial food and farming
sector, and we welcome this plan which we hope will create the
right conditions for organic farmers, growers and businesses to
invest and thrive.
Soil Association Chief Executive Helen Browning
said:
Organic farming is a key solution to tackling the climate and
nature crises without taking land out of food production. It's
great to see government backing organic with an action plan that
will help us build farming systems that are less dependent on
harmful chemicals and more resilient to climate change, boosting
nature and safeguarding food security in the process.
We're excited to work with government to unlock economic
opportunities by helping more British farmers and food businesses
meet consumer demand for organic, reducing our reliance on
imports.
Rob Haward, CEO of organic veg box company Riverford,
said:
Growing more organic fruit and veg in Britain is a long-term
investment in our soils, our growers and the resilience of UK
horticulture. Growers need the confidence to make that
investment, backed by clear, consistent support from government
and strong markets for what they produce.
The Organic Action Plan for England is a real opportunity to give
growers that confidence and help more of them invest in organic.
Done well, that means more British organic fruit and veg on our
plates, good jobs in rural communities and more choice for
consumers.
