Posted on 12/29/2007 8:54:13 PM PST by saganite
Fresh organic produce shipped by air could soon be the next target of the environmental campaigners.
As if the debate over carbon emissions weren't enough, airlines could soon face a challenge over their organic footprint amid calls to virtually ban the shipment of all air shipments of organic produce.
The startling move comes from the United Kingdom's Soil Association, the country's leading campaigner and certification organization for organic food and farming. It verifies the organic credentials of 70 percent of the UK's $4 billion organic produce market, with most imported produce coming into the country from Africa and South America.
Less than 1 percent of organic imports into the UK come by air, but this market already valued at $84 million a year and growing rapidly.
But the association claims more than 80 percent of the volume is grown in low-income countries. Said Anna Bradley, chair of the Soil Association's standards board: "It is neither sustainable nor responsible to encourage poorer farmers to be reliant on air freight, we need to seek alternative markets for these producers, so that they are no longer dependent on air freight to get their produce to market."
The Soil Association is seeking to impose stringent standards on all organic produce flown into the UK, which would demand that all producers not only meet tougher ethical trade standards, but that they agree to reduce any remaining reliance on air freight.
(Excerpt) Read more at aircargoworld.com ...
Gotta love NGOs.
So let them eat cake.
Yep. They shape policy more so than elected governments. The call for a ban on produce shipments will be followed by calls on a ban of flights to tourist destinations. Some extremists have called for a 90% reduction of flights in the UK. It seems to be only a (short) matter of time before such calls enter the mainstream.
They seem to be able to fly their fannies all over the world; why not food for their people?
Well it’s an easier way to protect local farmers other then giving poorly disguised welfare checks.
Besides, if you are going to eat organic, you shouldn’t be expecting strawberries in January.
I was just watching a program about how these fresh organics are welcomed by both chefs and the public in Britain, as they now had access to really good ingredients at reasonable rates year round.
The boost to the economies of the producing countries was also quite appreciated by the producers and their nations.
Of course, that means that humans are improving their lot, nobody is being exploited, and everyone benefits.
CAPTAIN PLANET will ensure any potential gains for the poor will be negated somehow.
G_d, I despise enviro-weenies.
Is this a carbon offsetting concern or a market loss concern by powerful standard growers?
So I take it you’re all for a govt intervention in the market place which will in the end wreck the economy of the farmers you cite?
Indeed, I guess all that newfangled "technology" and "progress" things should not apply to poorer farmers. Why don't we just let their produce rot in the fields instead? :-) If the readily available, "pay as you go" air cargo is out of question, what should the farmers do - build an 8-lane concrete highway through the jungles, overnight, for free?
Those hysterical busybodies apparently never heard about free market. If someone sells and I want to buy it, I must be allowed to do so, even if someone's panties are misplaced. Air freight is not that expensive, that's what Fedex and UPS use all the time, and we gladly pay for the speed and accuracy. How to ship is not anyone's business but seller's and maybe buyer's. But here we are, yet another group of people is telling everyone else what to do. Don't they have anything productive to do, like inventing teleportation, for example? That'd be cool.
Since there are no growers of fresh vegetables in the UK in the winter it is the concern of environmental busybodies driving the campaign.
Considering planes like the 787 allow more point to point flights that avoid hubs like Heathrow, maybe that's doable in the future. Of course that doesn't mean any flying would be eliminated, just flights to and from the UK.
This crowd just gets nuttier and nuttier. Lets starve some poor 3rd world farmer. Alternative markets? Ship product to their even poorer neighbors by ox cart?
That's pretty good. I've never thought of that aspect of "organic". Myself, I stick to "inorganic"
The caliphate will probably solve that problem.
Nobody’s talking about banning anything, and the Soil Association has nothing to do with government. All they’re proposing is that air-feighted goods won’t have organic certification, which seems reasonable enough: since air-freighted goods by definition can’t be fresh, and freshness is half the point of buying organic for the consumer.
Wy is that relevant? If 80% came form high income countries it be OK?
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