The Soil Association has
revised its organic standards following a major review in 2016, which included
input from the public, farmers, expert advisers and the food industry.
The certification body,
which claims it has the ‘highest UK organic standards’ said the changes would
ensure organic farmers and processors can provide the highest level of
protection for the environment, food and livestock in the most straightforward
way possible. The updated format is also expected to make it more
straightforward for farmers to become certified by the Soil Association.
The updated standards are
now available to preview and will come into effect from spring 2019. Dr
Benjamin Dent, chair of the Soil Association Standards Board, said, “We believe
that the Soil Association’s higher standards are the right standards for
organic food and farming in the UK. This has been an extremely thorough,
evidence-based review. Our expert committees and consultations have ensured the
new standards are practical for our licensees and encourage them to innovate,
and that where we are more demanding than the regulations, that this is
justified in terms of enhanced impacts on animal welfare and the environment.”
Key changes for farmers
include: a number of changes to animal welfare rules, as well as less
repetition and the ‘freedom to innovate.’
Daisy Blackhurst, standards
impact manager for the Soil Association added, “These revised organic standards
mean independent retailers can continue to be assured that when they stock
organic products they are helping to support the highest standards of food and
farming. For their shoppers, it means supporting the things we know they are
concerned about, like protection for the environment, animal welfare and
antibiotic resistance.”
Growth of Individually
Quick Frozen (IQF) fresh produce, and vegetables in particular, is being held
back by consumer perception following a number of food safety issues, according
got a new report.
The report by Future Market
Insights; IQF Vegetable Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity
Assessment, 2016-2026, estimates that the global market for frozen vegetables
is worth more than $1,280 million US$ 1,288.3, with almost 16,900 tonnes
product being supplied last year. Growth is forecast at around d 4 per cent
over the next eight years, with products including potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli
and cauliflower. However, peas are the fastest growing seller globally with the
value of frozen pea products growing by almost 6 per cent a year.
However, the report sounds
a note of caution, warning that, “The global demand for IQF vegetables is
expected to be inhibited by increasing risk of consuming Listeria monocytogenebacteria,
strict regulations that forbid the use of IQF vegetables due to rising
occurrence of bacteria and viruses, and fluctuating prices, plus the
availability of raw materials.”
The biggest market globally
for frozen vegetables is the United States, followed by India, Russia and
Western Europe, although the “most lucrative” market is the Middle East and
Africa.
A new herb producer, based
in Scunthorpe, expects to harvest its first crop within the next week according
to reports.
Jones Food Company’s
vertical farm is designed to produce 400 to 500 tonnes of crop each year
including basil, chives, coriander and dill. It is based in a ‘secret’
warehouse near the Lincolnshire town and the crops are handled automatically by
a robot known as Frank. In fact there are only four staff, none of whom
actually touch the plants.
It’s claimed that the
Scunthorpe facility includes more layers of production than other UK ‘vertical
farms’ with a total production area of 5,120 sq. m and 7.6 miles of LED
lighting, which have been supplied by GE Current and tested by company founder
Dr Paul Challinor at his home. The first crop has reportedly already been sold
to an anonymous buyer.
Malcolm Yare, horticulture
business development manager for GE Current, said, “There’s nearly no human
intervention during the whole production cycle. The lighting is at the heart of
the system.”
The latest information
published by Statistics Netherlands shows that the area of greenhouse
production in the country is continuing to decline gradually. At the same time
the area devoted to outdoor horticulture has risen slightly. In both sectors
the number of companies has fallen significantly.
Between 2017 and 2018 the
area of greenhouse horticulture reduced by 80 hectares to 9,000 ha and the
number of companies in the sector fell by 290 to 3,190. Since the year 2000 the
total greenhouse area has dropped almost 15 per cent from just over 10,500 ha
while the number of companies has reduced from 11,070.
Edible production decreased
from 4,990 hectares to 4,970 hectares, with the largest fall being seen in red
peppers (down 40 ha to 700 ha) and vine tomatoes (down 40 hectares to 930 ha).
Production of other peppers rose 30 ha to more to 180 ha in 2018) and cherry
tomatoes also increased by 50 ha more to a total of 490 ha. In ornamentals
notable changes included a 40 ha increase in chrysanthemum cultivation a
decrease of 30 ha for lilies.
Open field horticulture
increased 820 ha to 94,340 ha and in terms of area the sector has grown 16 per
cent since 2000, although over the same period the number of companies has
fallen from almost 17,000 to 9,610 in 2018.
Northern Irish company
Dundonald Nurseries, which is based in Co. Down, has expanded, including the
addition of new garden centre and warehouse facilities.
In the five years the
company, which was established in 1963 and which now supplies Tesco, the
Henderson Group and a range of independent outlets and florists across Northern
Ireland, has grown from three staff to 60 and also runs an award-winning
restaurant and gift shop.
“Having started out with
one small van, the wholesale nursery aspect of our business now requires four
large lorries to service our wholesale customers across the country, reflecting
the focus we have placed on a high-quality service and products,” said owner
Malcolm McCully.
“Over the past 55 years,
the business has expanded steadily because we are continuously innovating to
keep up with changing consumer requirements. We are proud of our growth and
recently purchased additional land off-site to build a new-state-of the-art
glasshouse complex, equipped with the latest growing technology for plants.
This is just the latest stage in our investment programme and with the support
of First Trust Bank, we have additional growth plans in place to renovate the
basement of our restaurant into a function room to offer a new private space
for hire.”
Photo caption: Malcolm
McCully of Dundonald Nurseries (right) with Catherine O’Keefe of First Trust
Bank, who provided finance for the expansion.
Following their calls for
growers to get involved in the consultation on the future of the Agriculture
and Horticulture Development Board, a group of growers has launched a campaign
calling for the AHDB levy to be optional.
The review closed on 9th
November, but a spokesman for the group said, “Due to a lack of effort by the
AHDB, there was a lack of knowledge about the review amongst growers. AHDB are
keen to contact growers when it suits them; however, they are less keen to
write to the levy payers informing them about a fundamental review. The NFU
could also have been more proactive in informing growers about the importance
of the review.”
He said that telephoning
local growers showed that “hardly any levy payers knew of the AHDB levy
review,” a situation which was common across a range of business including
flower growers, large area vegetable producers and potato growers. Following
discussions, a number of growers have come together to lobby for a voluntary
levy, which was one of the options proposed in the review.
“90 per cent of the growers
we have contacted have agreed that the levy should be voluntary,” continued the
spokesman. “This would mean that if your business doesn’t benefit you would not
have to pay. Currently the levy is a statutory one and when growers are unable
to pay, they are threatened with court action and bailiffs are sent in. The
levy of support we have had demonstrates how unpopular and costly the AHDB is
and the poor value for money that it gives the growers whose money they
collect.”
The group is also unhappy
with the strategic direction and AHDB’s ambitions to increase growers’
efficiency. “The AHDB Strategy for the Future suggests that they don’t realise
the cutting-edge production that is already in place,” said the spokesman.
“Economics dictate the margins that both large and small growers receive, as
you have hundreds of growers selling to a few nationwide retailers and
processors who are in an unremitting battle with each other. Despite their
technical abilities, investing huge amounts of money into their businesses does
not guarantee success for growers and margins are continually eroded –
undermining everything we are trying to do to protect our businesses and to
inspire the next generation.”
He also pointed out that
due to the nature of commercial horticulture, many businesses commission their
own research in order to gain a competitive advantage, and that AHDB’s
knowledge transfer activities work against this. “Over the next few years in
order to cope with the results of Brexit, it is crucial that businesses are
sustainable, lean and flexible and have contingency in their budgets. This
means not having to pay a statutory levy to AHDB and we hope that other
growers, particularly those who were in the dark about the review, will respond
to our petition with a resounding ‘yes,’ by e-mailing us at; AHDBpetition@gmail.com.”
New AHDB Board Member and
Horticulture Chair, Hayley Campbell-Gibbons said that there had been a “healthy
level of response, especially from growers” to the government’s open review of
AHDB, adding; “It’ll be interesting to see how many growers favour a voluntary
levy over a statutory one. A voluntary levy would certainly focus the mind,
although it could create a short-term culture and mind-set in what is a
long-term industry.”
Campbell-Gibbons said she
wanted to understand what growers value about AHDB, but also reflect on the
things that might require new focus or which need to stop or change. “It’s no
secret that there are a range of views on AHDB’s role and performance, and
speaking to those who get involved with AHDB, it delivers enormous benefits,” she
added. “But, perception is reality, and AHDB perhaps can be bolder in
communicating the benefits and spreading the word. However, even in the few
weeks I’ve been involved with the organisation, I can tell you there is no
complacency.
“In my role as a board
member and chair I want to ensure that everything AHDB does and communicates
addresses the ‘So what?’ factor. From AHDB’s EAMU work on plant protection
authorisations, to our flagship SCEPTREplus programme, our strategic farms and the
exciting new work on labour as part of our SmartHort campaign, we need to show
growers that they are getting bang for their buck.”
She acknowledged that AHDB
needs to keep pace with the rate and scale of change in the industry, something
that she believes makes AHDB’s role in “accelerating the development and
adoption of new research and technology” more important than ever before in
order to “give British horticulture a competitive edge.”
Campbell-Gibbons concluded
that she didn’t want the industry to see the closing of the review as the end
of the conversation on AHDB’s work, telling growers: “It’s your levy body and
as your AHDB representative the more you communicate with me, and vice versa,
the more we’ll both benefit. Over the coming months I will be considering and
acting on the responses, and be out and about to hear your views and share our
forward plans. I look forward to working with you.”
The post Growers
launch campaign for voluntary AHDB levy appeared first on Hort News.
The House of Commons
debated whether supermarkets should have to offer fruit and vegetables which
are not wrapped in plastic, following an online petition which managed to gain
123,000 signatures.
Under the rules of the
Government’s petition, any campaign which achieves more than 100,000 signatures
is eligible for debate by MPs. The debate was opened by Steve Double MP, a
member of the Petitions Committee.
Prior to the debate, the
Government had responded to the petition saying, ‘We are working with retailers
and the Waste and Resources Action Programme to explore the potential for the
introduction of plastic-free initiatives in supermarkets in which fresh food is
sold loose, adding, ‘Packaging has an important and positive role to play in
reducing product damage, increasing shelf-life, and reducing food waste.’
However, during the debate,
Sandy Martin MP argued that plastic packaging could be counterproductive:
“Plastic packaging on fresh fruit and vegetables may contribute to food waste:
by offering a fixed packaged quantity, people may be induced to buy more than
they need, as the hon. Member for Henley mentioned. Also, the amount of waste
may be disguised. Rather than damaged food being thrown away by the
supermarket, the customer may well find damaged fruit or vegetables inside the
plastic packaging and then throw them away in the household. Also, I question
whether most fresh fruit and vegetables are given an enhanced shelf life by
being wrapped in plastic.”
The European Patent Office
(EPO) has revoked a patent held by Bayer for traditionally-bred easy-to-harvest
broccoli.
The patent was originally
awarded to Monsanto in 2013 for broccoli plants with an “extend head” which
made them easier to harvest. However the following year an opposition to the
patent was filed by a group of organisations.
The cancellation of the
patent follows new rules introduced last year by the EPO which stated that
patents can no longer be granted on plants or animals derived via conventional
breeding techniques such as crossing and selection.
The move was welcomed by
campaign group No Patents on Seeds, which had protested about the original
patent with a giant head of broccoli and a 75,000 signature petition. “This is
an important success for the broad coalition of civil society organisations
against patents on plants and animals,” said the group’s Christoph Then.
“Without our activities, the EPO rules would not have been changed and the
patent would still be valid. The giant corporations, such as Bayer, Syngenta
and BASF, have failed in their attempt to completely monopolise conventional
breeding through using patents.” However, the group added that issues remain,
following the rejection of opposition to patent for barley varieties held by
Carlsberg and Heineken.
Jason Rutt, a patent
attorney at law firm Boult Wade Tennant, added, “There are a plethora of other
seed cases maturing at the EPO and it will be fascinating to see how this
decision impacts them.”
The post Bayer
Monsanto broccoli patent revoked appeared first on Hort News.
The Food and Drink
Federation (FDF) is conducting a survey on how the industry feels about the
proposed merger between Sainsbury’s and Asda.
The FDF survey reflects many
of the areas which will be investigated by the phase 2 investigation by the
Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) which begins in December. The FDF
added, ‘We are keen to ensure the views and concerns of UK food and drink
manufacturers of all sizes are heard by the CMA and we invite businesses to
respond to this short survey. This survey is designed to focus on the impact of
the Sainsbury’s / Asda merger on consumers, based on the CMA’s remit to
consider effects on consumers. Furthermore, the CMA have indicated a particular
focus on the effects of the merger on pricing and innovation.’
The All-Party Parliamentary
and Horticulture Group (APPGHG) has called on the government to recognise the
value of horticulture and support the industry accordingly.
The message was delivered
at the APPGHG’s annual reception where it launched it launches its new
‘Securing the future of the gardening and horticulture sector’ report following
a nine month enquiry. Among the report’s recommendations are: review plant
health legislation develop plant health standards to mitigate against
biosecurity risks; incentivise plant production; match-fund R&D; improve
the quality of data about the industry; consider the impact of legislation on
ornamental horticulture; and work with the industry to promote it as a highly
skilled career.
Co-Chairmen of the APPGHG,
Baroness Fookes DBE and Ian Liddell-Grainger MP, said, “Once a Cinderella –
largely disregarded despite her many virtues – horticulture is now being
recognised for the heroine she is. However, if it is to fulfil its full
potential for good we need the Government to recognise that horticulture
affects not simply DEFRA but other Government Departments such as BEIS,
Education, Health and Social Care and International Trade. We urgently need a
unified approach or – to use that rather hackneyed phrase – joined-up
Government!”
Speaking at the reception,
Defra minister George Eustice commented, “The horticulture and landscaping
sector makes an important contribution to our economy and I would like to thank
the APPG for its report and recommendations. Our Agriculture Bill sets out to
reward the work undertaken to protect and improve the environment, including
where benefits are delivered by the horticulture industry. I encourage all
those with an interest to engage with the Bill as it goes through Parliament.”
Photo Caption: Alan
Titchmarsh, Baroness Fookes and George Eustice MP at the APPGHG reception
