Fairtrade Scheme to Cover UK Produce

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Monday, 06 January 2003

Organic farmers' group the Soil Association and the Fairtrade Foundation announced an extension of the independent Fairtrade mark to British produce. The Soil Association says the Fairtrade mark is needed in the UK to break away from the "fear chain" that the food production process has become.

Under Fairtrade standards, the price paid to farmers must cover the sustainable cost of production, and include a margin for profit and investment.

The Fairtrade scheme also aims to make a more direct link between farmers and consumers, and reduce the number of intermediaries taking a slice of the profits.

The plight of farmers, including organic growers, in this country is now so bad, according to Soil Association director Patrick Holden, that they cannot survive unless they are given fairer terms of trade by the supermarkets.

Organic farmers have been protected from some of the pressures on conventional farmers in the UK until recently, because their food has fetched a premium.

But competition between the supermarkets to increase their share of the organic market, growing imports encouraged by the high pound, and overproduction in some sectors such as organic milk, have led to a fall in the prices UK growers are paid.

Bruce Carlisle farms organically in Pembrokeshire on land that produces early potatoes and brassicas. Having failed to make any money this year, after 15 successful years as an organic farmer, he will apply to the Fairtrade scheme. He needs 18p per kilo to meet production costs for organic potatoes, but the price he gets at the moment is 15p.

One of his problems is "grade outs": half of his crop is regularly rejected because it has very small surface blemishes.

He would like to see a double pricing structure, where shoppers can chose to pay less for food that may not be cosmetically perfect.

Under a pilot scheme, the Fairtrade mark will be extended to potatoes, beef, bacon, sausages and pork from the UK. British organic milk and other dairy products are also likely to be included.

Businesses applying for the certificate of Fairtrade for British food will have to demonstrate that in addition to paying producers a fair price, they make a contribution to social and environmental development through projects such as encouraging access to farmland, recycling, and training.

Source: Felicity Lawrence, The Guardian
Friday January 3, 2003. For full story visit