The Soil Association has called for a consumer revolt over organic stocking rates.
As reported in the Ranger the Soil Association is furious at the u-turn by farming minister Ben Bradshaw on the introduction of EU rules which would restrict layer flock sizes to 3000 and internal stocking rate to 6 birds a square metre.
The new regulations—already introduced by the SA and due to be applied to the rest of the organic sector from next year—will now be delayed for five years.
In its magazine Living Earth the Soil Association calls upon its 25,000 non-producer members to take firm action in protest.
“Revolt against Defra’s decision by choosing only Soil Association eggs and chicken,” it says. “Sainsburys stocks SA certified meat but has de-listed SA eggs.
“Waitrose is the only major supermarket to stock both SA eggs and chicken meat.” It also gives a telephone helpline which will give members details of independent retailers and markets where they can buy SA eggs.
Patrick Holden, the Soil Association’s director, says: “Mr Bradshaw has betrayed the public’s trust in organic standards. We are urging him to reconsider this ill-advised action.”
In its annual Organic Food and Farming Report the Soil Association identifies eggs as one of the few products to miss out on a huge boom in organic sales. The report reveals that demand for organic food has increased ten-fold in the past decade from just over £100 million in 1993/4 to £1.12 billion in the last twelve months.
But it says that in the past year egg sales have seen only “some limited growth”. It says: “The marketplace continues to be characterised by problems surrounding the different standards for organic egg production, particularly in relation to stocking densities. This fosters confusion among consumers over the differences between organic and free range as well as within the organic egg sector itself. Clarifying these differences and promoting the benefits of higher standards will help to overcome this barrier to market expansion.
“This confusion is exacerbated by ongoing resistance from some multiple retailers to stocking eggs from systems with higher welfare standards on the basis that additional costs would limit sales.”
