LESS THAN £1 A WEEK FOR FAMILIES TO SWITCH TO ORGANIC MILK...

04 June 2007

…but most people still think it will cost far more

A family of four can now switch to organic milk for under £1 a week – but most people think it will cost far more. A survey undertaken for the farmers’ cooperative, OMSCo, found that over 8 out of 10 people think organic milk costs more than it actually does. In fact, 30% are so far off the mark that they believe an organic pint costs at least 20 pence more than its ordinary equivalent, rather than the actual figure of just 8 pence.*

The survey, released to coincide with National Organic Dairy Week (4–10 June), quizzed over 1,700 consumers about their perceptions of price and organic premiums.

“People are still under the impression that organic products cost far more than their non-organic equivalents – but this isn’t the case with milk” says Rosie Palmer, Marketing Manager for OMSCo. “Organic milk sales have grown by around 25% a year over the past two years, but it’s clear that there are even more consumers out there who would buy organic milk if they knew how little extra it costs. An average family of four buys 12 pints of milk a week so the additional cost of switching to organic is only 96 pence.”

Peter Melchett, Soil Association policy director, said, “A pint of organic milk is a really great deal at just 8p more then it’s non-organic equivalent. It’s an even better deal if you take into account all the benefits of organic milk. These include lots more wildlife on organic farms, a fairer price for farmers, better animal welfare, and milk that is proven to be naturally higher in Omega 3 fatty acids. If families, schools or hospitals want to have more organic food then organic milk is a brilliant place to start.”

Key findings of the survey were:
• Women are more likely to over-estimate the cost of organic milk than men, with over a third (35%) thinking it was at least 20p more, compared to just 26% of men
• More than half of 16-24 year olds said they would buy organic milk if it cost less than £2 a week more – but they were way off the mark when it came to guessing the right price, with 55% thinking it would cost a family of four more than £2.40 a week, rather than the actual £1 a week
• Across the UK almost 9% of people are now buying organic milk all the time, but the North/South divide rings true when it comes to organic milk sales: 1 in 7 Londoners say they buy it all the time, while less than 1 in 20 people in the North East make the same claim

When asked what would convince them to pay more for organic milk, 52% said it would be knowing that organic milk was produced to the highest level of animal welfare, closely followed by 46% who felt that the greater environmental benefits of organic dairy farming were the biggest motivator. Milk that was locally produced ticked the box for 50% of those in Yorkshire, whereas for Londoners good health is a priority – 45% would pay more for organic milk if they knew it was naturally higher in Omega 3 fatty acids than non-organic milk.

Organic milk costs slightly more than non-organic as it is more time intensive to produce, organic feed costs are considerably higher, the yields are smaller as the organic system supports fewer cows per hectare and organic cows eat much more grass and fresh forage than their non-organic equivalents. The collection costs are also higher, however these have been coming down as organic milk grows in popularity and more farmers convert to organic farming.

Organic dairy cows are fed a natural diet of grass, hay, silage which has not been sprayed with synthetic chemical pesticides, they are never allowed to be fed GM cattle feed and are only given antibiotics when they are actually ill.

ENDS

National Organic Dairy Week runs from 4-10 June and is aimed at raising awareness of the benefits of organic milk and dairy products. Visit www.nationaorganicdairyweek.co.uk to find out more.

Editors Notes:
* A pint of organic milk in the major multiple retailers costs 43p, which is 8p more than a pint of non-organic milk
• The survey of 1,769 respondents was carried out in May by research company Tickbox
• National Organic Dairy Week aims to highlight the benefits of consuming organic dairy products, as well educating consumers about the positive environmental benefits of organic dairy farming. The partners involved also hope to stimulate debate and interest in organic food
• The Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative (OMSCo) is the leading and longest established cooperative of organic dairy farmers in the UK, with over 300 members across the country
• During 2005/06, retail sales of organic products in the UK grew by 30% to be worth approximately £1.6billion (Organic Milk Market Report 2007)
• A market tools inc survey of over 2000 people in 2006 showed that 84% of people thought that organic food was too expensive