Shoppers Should not Have to Choose Between Healthy Food and Affordable Prices

Shoppers Should not Have to Choose Between Healthy Food and Affordable Prices

Copyright (c) 2011 Alison WithersSales of organic food dropped by around 100 million in 2010 according to newly released figures from the UK's Soil Association, contrasting with its earlier predictions that the sector would recover by between 2% and 5% in 2010.The wales decline has been attributed to consumers hit by rising prices choosing cheaper produce. However, according to the organic food industry's trade body the Organic Trade Board, the decline in sales slowed to approximately 2% in the second half of 2010. Sales of organic fresh fruit, vegetables were hardest hit, declining by 6.3% and organic meat sales were down by 5.8%. The decline also affected producers with numbers declining from 7,896 to 7,567 during 2010. However, some organic sectors did well, notably sales of organic baby foods increasing by 10.3% and of textiles increasing by 7.8%. Textiles, particularly, have been boosted by their promotion in two well-known high street clothing chains. This all suggests that although there may be an appetite for healthy, fresh, chemical-free food, price is a primary consideration for shoppers, especially at a time of economic difficulty, when people are concerned at rising household bills and also about the future of their jobs. Given the predictions that farming yields and food production will need to rise dramatically to meet the predicted population growth expected to reach nine billion by 2050 farmers at all levels from the smallest to the largest will need far more support if they are to achieve this target in a sustainable way without further depleting their land's fertility. Currently oil prices are going through the roof because of the political instability throughout North Africa and the Middle East, and oil is, in any event a finite resource in the same way as land. Neither can be expanded indefinitely to meet the increasing demand. Scientific research and development are likely to play an important role in providing farmers with the tools they need. Biopesticides Developers are likely therefore to play a key role by providing low-chem agricultural products to replace the previous generation of artificial, chemical-based pesticides and fertilisers that are heavily dependent on oil. So the innovations in producing biopesticides and biofungicides that are based on natural enemies to plant predators, pests and diseases offer a positive way forward to meet the goal of increasing production to provide affordable, healthy food. Yield enhancers derived from natural sources will also help. The three elements should provide the agricultural products farmers will need to reduce crop wastage and boost yield. They will also help them achieve sustainable farming methods and introduce regimes of integrated pest management. Supported by a more efficient regulatory mechanism to get the new low-chem agricultural products registered and licensed in Europe, as they are in the USA, and with access to training in their use, particularly for the small farmers who are the backbone of food production in many parts of the world, it is possible to be more optimistic about the future of farming and food production and about being able to provide consumers with healthy food choices that are also affordable.

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