News Biological agriculture
'Organic as a solution to food shortages'
Organic farming has a role in solving food shortages after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is what European Commissioner Janusz Wojchiechowski said during the opening of the Biofach agricultural fair in Nuremberg, Germany. Organic companies are not dependent on fertilizer imports, among other things, so that negative influences have less influence on the sector, according to the European Commissioner.
Wojchiechowski's statement can also be considered bold. Like conventional farms, organic arable farmers and dairy farmers also have to deal with sharp price increases for many inputs. Not for fertilizer and (synthetic) crop protection products, but for almost all other cost items. In addition, buyers are hesitant to increase their contract prices for, for example, canned goods and milk. Their motivation is that the gap between the price of organic and non-organic products is becoming too large, as a result of which consumption suffers.
Organic as a defense against food shortage
"If Russia uses the food supply as a weapon in a war, biological is part of the defense," said Wojchiechowski during the opening of the Biofach in Nuremberg. That writes the Irish news site Farmer's Journal. The agricultural trade fair for the organic sector will be held in Germany from 26 to 29 July. "Due to the illegal aggression in Ukraine, organic farming has become more valuable," says the European Commissioner. "The sector is less dependent on outside influences, such as the price of fertilizer."
"Organic farms are more independent and so are outside inputs," he says. That is why the European Commission is focusing on more organic farms in the EU. By 2030, the ambition is to set a quarter of organic agricultural land. Wojchiechowski called this pursuit ambitious but achievable. Incidentally, both the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union endorse the importance of developing the organic sector, but they also advocate a market-oriented approach.
More research
30% of the European budget for research and innovation in agriculture is earmarked for the organic sector. "We have to invest in the resilience of the sector. The last 2,5 years have been difficult in the EU, but fortunately without food shortages. Organic and conventional farmers have contributed to this."
It is logical that the European Commissioner from Poland encourages the organic sector during 'their' trade fair. At the same time, the statements can also raise eyebrows. Sri Lanka has been in the news a lot lately because of the civil uprising in that country. One of the reasons is a major food shortage after President Rajapanska forced farmers to grow organically.
Sales markets must grow
Organic farmers – at least in the Netherlands – may also have doubts about the positive speech. The costs also continue to rise sharply in their sector, while the selling price is lagging behind. The difference between organic and conventional milk has never been so small and this spring it was often difficult for arable farmers to enforce price increases for canned goods such as peas, spinach and beans. The organic sales market must grow to keep up with production, but foreign sales in particular are not growing significantly because countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom and Scandinavian countries focus more on locally produced products.
Niels van der Boom
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