Organic subsidies 'not the answer' to food security threat

A proposal by the Prince of Wales for organic farm subsidies would be a huge step backwards for the ability of UK farming to contribute towards food security and the fight against climate change, warns the Crop Protection Association.

Speaking this week at Georgetown University’s ’The Future of Food’ conference, in Washington DC, Prince Charles called for agricultural subsidies to be geared towards less intensive ’greener’ farming practices in a bid to tackle threats to food production and the environment. He argued that current farming methods are costing the environment and economies across the world, and perhaps the time has arrived when a long, hard look is needed at the way public subsidies are generally geared.

Dominic Dyer, CPA’s chief executive, says that it is time instead to acknowledge that farmers are adopting sustainable farming practices, utilising new modern agricultural methods and inputs that have already significantly reduced carbon emissions and the amount of energy used during farming, and are, in reality, far more sustainable than the organic farming advocated by his Royal Highness.

"The suggestion that tax-payers should subsidise an uneconomic agricultural production system with a declining market demand is untenable," says Mr Dyer.

"On a global scale organic farming systems cannot deliver the quantities of food needed for a rapidly rising global population without using more land, energy and water which will actually have a negative environmental impact – with or without a ’green’ subsidy.

"Food prices are rising in the UK, and in many countries around the world, at record levels. The organic food market is in serious decline because British consumers are no longer willing to pay a significant premium for food products that have no proven health or nutrition benefits," says Mr Dyer.