British farmers to get Fairtrade cover
Scheme extended from developing world to UK
Food produced in the UK is to be made part of the Fairtrade scheme, which was originally designed to prevent the exploitation of poor farmers in developing countries. Organic farmers' group the Soil Association and the Fairtrade Foundation are to announce an extension of the independent Fairtrade mark to British produce at the association's annual conference today. The Soil Association says the Fairtrade mark is needed in the UK to break away from the "fear chain" that the food production process has become.
Under Fairtrade standards, the price paid to farmers must cover the sustainable cost of production, and include a margin for profit and investment.
The Fairtrade scheme also aims to make a more direct link between farmers and consumers, and reduce the number of intermediaries taking a slice of the profits.
Harriet Lamb, director of the Fairtrade Foundation, said: "While our priority is to assist producers in [developing countries] who suffer most from the problems of world trade, we recognise that many of these problems are shared by farmers in developed countries as well."
The plight of farmers, including organic growers, in this country is now so bad, according to Soil Association director Patrick Holden, that they cannot survive unless they are given fairer terms of trade by the supermarkets.
"We no longer have a food chain but a fear chain. Supermarket buyers live in fear of not meeting their targets on margins. They want to buy cheap and sell expensive. The packer lives in fear of not meeting the supermarket targets for cosmetic perfection. The grower lives in fear of having his or her produce rejected or being priced out of business."
Organic farmers have been protected from some of the pressures on conventional farmers in the UK until recently, because their food has fetched a premium.
But competition between the supermarkets to increase their share of the organic market, growing imports encouraged by the high pound, and overproduction in some sectors such as organic milk, have led to a fall in the prices UK growers are paid.
Organic growers are also expected to meet the cosmetic standards of conventional farm produce, even though this may be incompatible with the organic principle of avoiding pesticides, Mr Holden said.
As a result, it is not uncommon for organic farmers to find up to 50% of their crops rejected by supermarkets.
Bruce Carlisle farms organically in Pembrokeshire on land that produces early potatoes and brassicas. Having failed to make any money this year, after 15 successful years as an organic farmer, he will apply to the Fairtrade scheme. He needs 18p per kilo to meet production costs for organic potatoes, but the price he gets at the moment is 15p.
One of his problems is "grade outs": half of his crop is regularly rejected because it has very small surface blemishes.
He would like to see a double pricing structure, where shoppers can chose to pay less for food that may not be cosmetically perfect.
Under a pilot scheme, the Fairtrade mark will be extended to potatoes, beef, bacon, sausages and pork from the UK. British organic milk and other dairy products are also likely to be included.
There are currently about 100 Fairtrade products sold in the UK covering agricultural commodities from some of the world's poorest countries such as coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, honey, and fruit.
Businesses applying for the certificate of Fairtrade for British food will have to demonstrate that in addition to paying producers a fair price, they make a contribution to social and environmental development through projects such as encouraging access to farmland, recycling, and training.
Retail sales of Fairtrade produce in the UK were £46m in 2001 and are expected to have exceeded £53m in 2002.
Under Fairtrade standards, the price paid to farmers must cover the sustainable cost of production, and include a margin for profit and investment.
The Fairtrade scheme also aims to make a more direct link between farmers and consumers, and reduce the number of intermediaries taking a slice of the profits.
Harriet Lamb, director of the Fairtrade Foundation, said: "While our priority is to assist producers in [developing countries] who suffer most from the problems of world trade, we recognise that many of these problems are shared by farmers in developed countries as well."
The plight of farmers, including organic growers, in this country is now so bad, according to Soil Association director Patrick Holden, that they cannot survive unless they are given fairer terms of trade by the supermarkets.
"We no longer have a food chain but a fear chain. Supermarket buyers live in fear of not meeting their targets on margins. They want to buy cheap and sell expensive. The packer lives in fear of not meeting the supermarket targets for cosmetic perfection. The grower lives in fear of having his or her produce rejected or being priced out of business."
Organic farmers have been protected from some of the pressures on conventional farmers in the UK until recently, because their food has fetched a premium.
But competition between the supermarkets to increase their share of the organic market, growing imports encouraged by the high pound, and overproduction in some sectors such as organic milk, have led to a fall in the prices UK growers are paid.
Organic growers are also expected to meet the cosmetic standards of conventional farm produce, even though this may be incompatible with the organic principle of avoiding pesticides, Mr Holden said.
As a result, it is not uncommon for organic farmers to find up to 50% of their crops rejected by supermarkets.
Bruce Carlisle farms organically in Pembrokeshire on land that produces early potatoes and brassicas. Having failed to make any money this year, after 15 successful years as an organic farmer, he will apply to the Fairtrade scheme. He needs 18p per kilo to meet production costs for organic potatoes, but the price he gets at the moment is 15p.
One of his problems is "grade outs": half of his crop is regularly rejected because it has very small surface blemishes.
He would like to see a double pricing structure, where shoppers can chose to pay less for food that may not be cosmetically perfect.
Under a pilot scheme, the Fairtrade mark will be extended to potatoes, beef, bacon, sausages and pork from the UK. British organic milk and other dairy products are also likely to be included.
There are currently about 100 Fairtrade products sold in the UK covering agricultural commodities from some of the world's poorest countries such as coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, honey, and fruit.
Businesses applying for the certificate of Fairtrade for British food will have to demonstrate that in addition to paying producers a fair price, they make a contribution to social and environmental development through projects such as encouraging access to farmland, recycling, and training.
Retail sales of Fairtrade produce in the UK were £46m in 2001 and are expected to have exceeded £53m in 2002.
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