Scots lose taste for organic produce

Half the land certified as suitable for organic production of food a decade ago in Scotland has now reverted to conventional farming methods, according to a new report on the once-burgeoning industry.

In addition, the main organisation representing Scottish organic producers has seen its numbers almost halve over the same period.

In 2000, there were more than 700 members of the Scottish Organic Producers Association (Sopa), but the numbers have now dropped to around 400 with the organisation expecting more members to leave this year.

A failure to prove the health benefits of organic produce and a perception that it was expensive at a time when households are cutting back is believed to be behind the reversal.

But it also suffered a bit of a backlash as it was seen as overly trendy and hip.

Organic producers also claim that the lack of government support for farmers to switch to and maintain organic production is also partially to blame.

Organic production in Scotland rose throughout the 1990s because of fears over the effects of mass production on farmland, aided by widespread use of potentially hazardous fertilisers and a series of food scares, such as the BSE crisis in cattle, and the spread of E coli food poisoning, blamed in part on conventional intensive farming methods.

However, according to a report by the Scottish Agricultural College, the area of certified organic land in Scotland is down from a peak of 424,618 hectares in 2002 to less than 200,000ha last year. The current organic “estate” in Scotland is believed to be near 180,000ha.

In contrast, the Scottish Government published data last week showing that the non-organic cereal and oilseed rape harvest for 2011 was expected to be the biggest in 20 years.

Separate figures revealed that one in ten organic producers had given up in the past year, a much higher total than in England (3.7 per cent) where organic produce still has a healthy market, and prices.

Sopa claimed that if the Scottish Government and consumers did not improve their support for the sector, then the amount of organic acreage might continue to decline.

Deborah Roberts, Sopa’s development manager, said: “I expect more organic farmers to leave.

“Poultry and lamb producers are especially finding it hard at the moment.

“I think we need a boost from the Scottish Government and from the consumer.

“But I do think we will be left with a broad base of determined people in Scotland who find organic farming suits them and their farms.

“But some are losing confidence. We need a boost.”

Roberts, who farms cattle and cereals in Perthshire, said that a lot of the loss of membership over the past decade had been caused by hill farmers switching back to conventional methods.

She appealed for a “broader and quicker” assessment process of organic farmers applying for subsidies to take into account their contribution to the wider environment, including species biodiversity and the whole food chain.

“We know that the downward pattern is continuing into 2011. People are struggling,” she said.

The Soil Association, which represents organic producers, attributed the fall in producers to the recession, “with many consumers reviewing their food baskets”.

But Scotland’s leading food scientist, Professor Hugh Pennington, said: ”The fall in organic production in Scotland does not surprise me one bit. There is no evidence that organic food is intrinsically better and it is generally pricer.

“People have become more informed over the supposed health benefits of organic food and have voted at the tills. It is hard to show any health benefits.”

He added: “I think there will be always be an organic sector in Scotland, but many farmers and consumers have deserted it and it will never return to its former peak size.”