British producers struggle to keep up with consumers' soaring demand.

Figures to be released this week will reveal that the organic industry is in grave danger of becoming a victim of its own success. The public hunger to shop ethically, locally and sustainably - a phenomenon that reached its acme with the high-profile opening last month of the American Whole Foods Market in London's Kensington High Street - is eating up British crops faster than farmers can produce them. The organic sector's success is creating problems that could end up irrevocably damaging consumer confidence in organic food.

Source:The Guardian - Amelia Hill - July 1, 2007

Contiinue reading:Organic food under threat.doc

Many changes have taken place in the organic sector since the enlargement of the European Union has taken place in 2004. Eurostat has published a report to give an overview of the current state. Organic cultivation has progressed in most states. Organic processing, however, has not been developed much yet. In 2005, 6.1 million hectares of land were managed organically, which equals to 4 % of the total agricultural area in the EU. This was a slight increase compared with 2003, when the rate accounted for 3.7 %. In Italy, 18 % of the land was cultivated organically, followed by Germany and Spain with a share of 14 % respectively. The Czech Republic had the highest share (4 %) of the countries which joined the EU in 2004.

Continue reading (source:Organic-Market.Info)

Researchers from University of California, Davis found that organic kiwi fruit had much higher levels of polyphenols and antioxidant activity.

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  European organics firm Pro Natura has acquired French organics company Bioprim, in a move expected to strengthen the portfolio and customer base of each operator.
The deal, which was completed on May 23, is set to achieve Pro Natura a turnover of E80 million in 2007 and reinforce the firm’s role in the European organic sector. Bioprim has worked in the organic fruit and veg market for over 20 years, and operates from a logistical hub in Perpignan, conveniently located between the French and Spanish border.
With an annual growth rate pegged at 20 per cent, Pro Natura is continuing its “downstream deployment” strategy in a bid to come closer to its clients and widen its supply base.
Henri de Pazzis, founder and manager of Pro Natura, which has 192 staff at its marketing and production sites across Provence, Brittany, the Languedoc-Roussillon region, Belgium, Morocco and Togo, told FPJ: “Bioprim has a Spanish branch and is particularly strong in product from this country, thanks to the presence of a technician on the ground year-round with growers.
“Bioprim and Pro Natura complement each other well, and both our companies will be enriched in terms of their product range and their client base,” he added.
Source:Freshinfo - 7 June 07

Read more "Pro Natura makes French acquisition"

A survey carried out in late 2006 in Germany has confirmed the continued rise in the number of organic consumers.  The percentage of German consumers who occasionally purchase organic products has risen from 88% in 2005 to 91% in 2006.
Of those questioned, 66% felt that it is perfectly normal that organic foods should be more expensive, compared to 10% who believed that the on-cost is not justified.
- Biofach newsletter – March 9, 2007.

A survey carried out by two researchers from Davies University in California has shown that organic kiwi fruit are better for health than kiwi fruit produced using conventional farming techniques. 
Organic kiwi fruit have a higher content of polyphenols, vitamin C. and minerals. 
The lack of pesticides in organic kiwi fruit encourages them to build up their defence mechanisms, resulting in a higher level of antioxidants.
- Medical News Today– March 29, 2007.

Transgenic Mon 863 corn which has been modified to produce an insecticide and which is authorised in Europe for animal and human consumption, may present serious risks to human health. A cross examination of Monsanto's data by the CRII-GEN (Committee for Independent Research and Information on Genetic Engineering) has shown that rats fed for 90 days with a diet comprising 33% Mon 863 corn developed significant anomalies in blood composition, suffering toxic effects in their liver and kidneys. 
The CRII-GEN has concluded that due to the risks, the marketing of MON 863 corn should be forbidden.  For its part, the European Commission has asked the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) to examine the CRIIGEN's findings and to issue its opinion concerning the harmlessness or otherwise of MON 863 corn.
- Le Monde  -  March 13, 2007.
- European Food Safety Authority  -  March 26, 2007   

In 2006, the surface area of land farmed using organic methods stood at almost 31 million ha.

Oceania continues to boast the highest percentage of land area devoted to organic farming, thanks to Australia which alone has 11.8 million ha farmed organically. 

Australia is followed by Argentina (3.1 million ha) and China (2.3 million).  We should also point out the significant growth in the certified organically farmed surface area in the United States (+ 400,000 ha) in Italy (+ 110,000 ha) and in Poland (+85,000 ha).

In Europe, two thirds of the 6.5 million hectares farmed organically are located in six member states:

                         
             

Country	Surface   area farmed organiCally (hectares)	% of   the UAA (usable   agricultural area)
Italy	1 067 102	8.4%
Spain	807 570	3.2 %
GermanY	807 406	4.7%
United kingdom	619 852	3.9%
France	560 838	2.0%
Austria	360 972	14.2%

 

The global market for organic products was worth €25.5 billion in 2005, and is estimated at more than €30 billion for 2006.
- IFOAM News – February 14 2007. /Biofil no. 51 – March/April 2007 – p 5.