Storm clouds gather over organic fields

Derided as a fad favoured by hippies and middle class goody two shoes in the seventies, organics have come a long way since those early years of inception.

In those days, consumers would have had to travel a considerable distance to access them as they were not listed in the mainstream supermarkets. Just a few years ago the sector had a crisis of demand outstripping supply and it offered a lifeline to the beleaguered UK farming community.

Now it has a crisis of a different nature. Sinister-looking black clouds are gathering over these same pastures and the outlook for the future is becoming increasingly uncertain.

The Food Standards Agency recently released a damning report that came to the conclusion that organic food does nothing to improve health or offer any more nutritional benefit than non-organic food.

While, as developers and food technologists, we could have drawn similar conclusions, the advantages of food that is free-from pesticide/herbicide residues and improved animal welfare should not be overlooked. Predictably, the UK press seized on this opportunity to lambaste the organics sector. Sadly, this will only serve to stoke the fire of consumer confusion and circulate mixed messages adding to consumers' perceived mistrust of UK food retailing. This, at a time of cost-conscious shopping may only exacerbate the challenge for the organics sector. At best the organics market may look to grow 5% this year, a far cry from its heyday of 30% growth year-on-year. While one leading retailer has posted recent growth in the sector, generally speaking the UK organics market is struggling.

Diversifying into box schemes, ensuring 100% availability and exploring additional routes to market are ways to help minimise the impact of the recession.

Angela Mitton is creative product developer ​

NPD consultancy Beetroot & Orange www.beetrootandorange.com​