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Organic News from OANZ

Saturday, October 6, 2007
Posted in Global Warming Organics | Tagged Global Warming, Organics

Five years ago, Malcolm Gladwell’s book “The Tipping Point” had people talking about how a small difference, when made by a large number of people, can lead to dramatic changes. The growth in our organic food sector is driven by thousands of people each deciding they want healthy, good tasting food which has been sustainably produced. Similarly, demand for organic textiles and fibre has seen a movement towards fashion labels (most recently the Wellington-based Starfish) showcasing organic fabrics.

The groundswell of support for certified organics is not just evident in the increasing range of products in our shops, but also by the number of people asking about how they can take on board more organic practices. This month’s NZ Gardener magazine is just the latest “green special”, highlighting small, positive differences that we can all make to the planet.

For commercial organic producers, however, our ecosystem isn’t something we think about for just one episode a year. Successful certified organic production means taking a holistic view of your farm all year round - and requires much more than just swapping one set of inputs with another.

New Zealand’s organic sector includes a huge number of people who have made an incredible difference to the environment of their own properties, their communities and, ultimately, the country we all live in.

Whether you’re thinking of taking the first step into certified organics or are a long-established organic producer looking to go an extra mile, the differences we make, combined with the thousands of other people like us around the world, can lead to a greener planet.

OANZ submission on ‘carbon footprint’ debate

Organics Aotearoa New Zealand has made a submission on the UK Soil Association’s ‘Green Paper on Air Freight’, opposing the suggestion from Britain’s largest organic certifier that air freighted products should be banned from carrying their organic label.

OANZ Deputy Chairman David Wright says OANZ accepts there are a range of negative environmental impacts from air freight, but these shouldn’t be considered in isolation and shouldn’t be used as a barrier to organic trade.

The submission argues the impact of air transport should be considered as part of each product’s total life cycle, and efforts should be made to reduce the environmental impact of the whole system.

Mr Wright notes well-publicised research by Lincoln University shows the the number of miles something travels is not a good guide to the amount of carbon dioxide and other emissions produced.

He adds, “The lack of synthetic chemicals in organic systems can make them more energy efficient than conventional systems, but organic standards should continue to develop towards carbon neutrality.”

Mr Wright also notes organic production has been identified by farmers in developing countries as a way out of poverty, and in some cases air freight is the only viable route to developed markets. Restrictions on the transport of organic products risks damaging one worthy goal - the development of the third world - in order to meet another.

OANZ is asking the UK Soil Association to switch its focus to examine the carbon footprint of products measured over their whole life cycle, and to take into account any related carbon offsets.

Mr Wright notes internationally the Soil Association is a leader in organic development. “We’d like them to lead the way to carbon neutral organic farming systems, rather than single out particular elements such as air freight or food miles”, he says.

The submission can be read on the OANZ website

Phoenix cola “the real thing”

Phoenix Organics has launched a new advertising campaign, which challenges consumers to think about whether what they are drinking is really good for them, and of equal importance, good for the planet.

The campaign uses cartoon characters to illustrate Phoenix Organics’ mission, which is to make drinks from natural organic ingredients that also taste good.

Phoenix Marketing Manager Ron Curteis believes New Zealand consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of organic products. He notes, “Over the past few years the demand for great-tasting organic products has increased. Consumers want to know exactly what they are putting into their bodies, and they don’t want to have to try to decipher scientific codes on the back of the packaging to know what they are drinking.”

Mr Curteis says Phoenix goes to great lengths to deliver drinks made from 100% organic ingredients while striving for an environmentally sustainable business model. While the new advertising campaign is fun and light-hearted, it does carry a serious message.

Phoenix founder Roger Harris recalls when the company launched its first product (Ginger Fizz) in 1986 it was bottled in recycled beer bottles, collected from the local pubs, soaked in a tub to get the labels off and then sterilised in a commercial dishwasher.

He adds, “We’ve come a long way since those days, but the principals have always remained the same. When we set up a purpose-built manufacturing facility in West Auckland we strived to ensure that every part of our business would be sustainable, and that all of our products would be made with organic ingredients”.

Now part of the Charlie’s group, Phoenix produces more than 20 varieties of organic beverages, sold in cafes, service stations, restaurants and supermarkets nationwide.

Tips for success in the organics business

The influential Entrepreneur magazine is tipping the organic food business as one of the most lucrative opportunities during the next decade. While the magazine focuses on the US market, much of its advice is likely to be equally relevant to New Zealand in coming years.

It notes America has a growing appetite for all things healthy.� Even sweet snack foods are being loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, healthy extracts and vitamin C. But the real buzzword is organic. According to the Organic Trade Association, based in Greenfield, Massachusetts, organic food sales are expected to see double-digit growth each year from 2007 to 2010.� Consumers, especially the Generation Y crowd, are keen to eat food that is free from added hormones, antibiotics and genetic modifications.

The magazine notes opportunities abound, especially in niche areas such as alcohol (organic beer sales in the US grew from $9 million in 2003 to $19 million in 2005), candy, condiments and sauces, not to mention food for children, babies and pets.

The magazine stresses those who enter the organics sector must “play by the rules”, which means adhering to strict organic standards, and advises industry trade shows as great places to showcase organic products and meet influential people.

Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/

Why organic food can’t feed the world

Prof Craig Meisner

A Cornell University professor is challenging the claim that organic methods of agriculture would be sufficient to feed the world. Craig Meisner, who lived and worked alongside farmers in Bangladesh for 25 years, says he favours organic farming methods but the idea that that can feed the developing world remains a pipe dream.

Meisner claims the basis of the Green Revolution that saved South Asia was not organics, but the use of a dwarfing gene to stop rice and wheat collapsing when they flourished, coupled with chemical fertilisers and irrigation systems.

He notes most supporters of the idea that organic farming can feed the world, assume that organic manures are cheap and available to all - even the poor. But this isn’t often the case. He adds the quantities of organic material required to sustain such productive growth makes it very difficult for the poor to handle.

Meisner asks, “Can you imagine carrying 17 tonnes of manure, in repeated 50 kilogram loads, in a basket on your head? The lack of machinery to carry that material and the labour required to apply it, compounds the challenge.”

He says surveys in Bangladesh clearly show that growers who do have the ability to add organics to their land are richer and have larger land holdings and animals. The poor have to rely on purchased fertilisers, whether organic or chemical.

Meisner concludes, “most growers understand that [organic agriculture] benefits the soil, and as such its use is is advocated as much as is possible. Unfortunately, for Bangladesh, and many developing countries, those possibilities are diminishing yearly as organics become less and less available and affordable.”

Organic enthusiasts in running for NZ Gardener of the Year

Two organic enthusiasts are among 15 finalists in the NZ Gardener magazine’s annual Garden of the Year competition.

They are 84-year-old Margaret Peace from Tua Marina, in Marlborough, and Jo Duff from Poukawa in Central Hawke’s Bay.

Mrs Peace has a garden of 0.4ha, on which she grows 50 fruit trees, tends a large vegetable garden and looks after an area of native bush she planted soon after buying the bare-paddock land in 1975.

She follows strict permaculture principles of sustainable self-sufficiency while preserving the natural habitats of other life forms. She has been a “greenie” most of her life, she says, joining the Forest and Bird Society when she was 12.

Mrs Duff has a quarter-acre garden, which sits in the middle of a paddock in Poukawa and was established just two years ago. True to her eco-friendly principles, she has included several “useful” plants.

In the summer, the garden is a riot of colour - a mixture of flowers, vegetables and herbs of different heights and densities.

Mrs Duff works part-time at Planters Seedling nursery in Havelock North and at the Environment Centre in Hastings, where she educates the community about sustainability and permaculture.

It was permaculture that originally got her hooked on gardening seven years ago while browsing magazines. Eventually, she hopes to establish a community-supported agriculture scheme to supply vegetables to the local community, with multi-layered planting mimicking an actual forest.

Members of the public are able to cast their vote for the 2007 Gardener of the Year through the NZ Gardener magazine’s website: http://www.nzgardener.co.nz/.

Organic gardening service launched

An Auckland company is offering a new service to help gardeners learn the principles of growing organic food in their backyards.

Patch from Scratch is aimed at beginner gardeners as well as busy people who don’t have much time or space to grow their own vegetables.

The company offers packages that include building a raised bed in the client’s backyard and planting it out with the first crop of seedlings using organic methods. It also offers a “maintenance pack” providing the knowledge needed to care for a vegetable garden, in an easy to understand format.

The pack explains in simple terms basic organic methods such as crop rotation, companion planting, pest control and a monthly planting calendar, so clients know what to plant and where.

More information: http://www.patchfromscratch.co.nz/.

Organic porridge for Norway prisoners

A Norwegian prison is billing itself as the most eco-friendly jail in the world, with inmates growing a wide range of organic produce, making the facility almost self-sufficient in food.

Bastoey Prison, about 80km south of Oslo, also has solar panels, heats its buildings with wood-waste rather than oil and operates a strict recycling policy. If inmates at this prison do porridge, it is organic porridge, for not only are recreational drugs banned, but pesticides are too.

All potatoes, beans, grains and berries grown in the prison garden are 100 percent organic. The prison receives grants from environmental groups, and any food that doesn’t get used in its own kitchen is sold to other jails.

The inmates also raise free-range chickens, sheep and cows as well as fishing in the waters of the Skagerrak Sea. The prison’s deputy governor, Per Eirik Lund, explains, “It’s part of our way to make inmates take responsibility, by getting them to look after plants and animals.”

Some prisoners have become more ‘green’ than the staff. Lund notes, “Once I came in to work, drinking coffee from a disposable cup and one of them gave me a hard time, ‘Oi guvnor, that’s not very green!’ ”

Diary these dates

EcoShow - Taupo, 11-14 October 2007. A national event about making sustainability a real option. Take part in the conversation with national and international speakers, exhibitors, demonstrations and workshops. More information at http://www.ecoshow.co.nz/.

Organic Advisory Programme
Information meetings to discuss opportunities under the Organic Advisory Programme. Organic consultants and service providers will discuss topics such as innovative weed and pest management, building soil fertility and structure.

TAURANGA
Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, Windermere
Thursday, 18 October 7.00 - 9.00pm

CAMBRIDGE
Prince Albert Tavern, Victoria Arcade
Tuesday, 23 October 7.00 - 9.00pm

TAUMARUNUI
Cosmopolitan Club
Wednesday, 24 October 3.30 - 6.30pm

Organics News Roundup

A selection of recent stories on organics from news media in New Zealand and around the world.

Charlie’s named best juice
The National Business Review 01/10/2007

Charlie’s Group took the plum prize at this year’s New Zealand Juice and Beverage Awards, heading off rival giants Coca Cola and Frucor. Charlie’s and Phoenix Organics brands, both part of Charlie’s Trading Company, were rewarded with 10 awards out of 13 categories. Charlie’s Honest Squeezed Orange Juice then took out the overall supreme award. More … http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=19148&cid=4&cname=Business+Today

Eggs not so free range
The Sunday Star Times 30/07/2007

Shoppers paying almost double the normal price for free-range eggs may be wasting their money if they think they are choosing the most ethical and nutritious option. Many eggs sold as “free-range” are laid by hens that never get outside to peck at fresh grass and insects, and may even have clipped beaks, say industry insiders and animal welfare experts.

Even the Egg Producers Federation (EPF), the body which acts in the interests of egg farmers, has warned the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries that the lack of rules around free-range could lead “less scrupulous producers to reduce the amount of range available”, and implied that this could lead to “a loss of consumer trust”.� SPCA chief executive Robyn McDonald said many free-range hens are in barns all their lives, eating only grain. More … http://www.stuff.co.nz/4220489a11.html

Africa: incompatible standards may keep organics out
AllAfrica.com 21/09/2007

The newly launched East Africa Organic Standard, designed to boost exports to Europe, could fall at the first hurdle if the largest licensing body in the UK decides in November that air-freighted produce no longer qualifies as organic. African farmers have been highly critical of the UK Soil Association’s (SA) controversial consultation on air miles, which may result in it refusing to endorse products imported by plane. Despite the fact that less than 1 percent of all UK food comes by air, campaigners argue that it is responsible for 11 percent of carbon emissions and therefore at odds with organic principles.

Soon-to-be-published research commissioned by the United Nation’s International Trade Centre, which has been outspoken in its opposition to the SA’s position, will reveal that as many as 15,000 people in Kenya and Ghana — the biggest exporters to the UK — would see their livelihoods hit. The figure is based on research carried out among five organic exporters, their workers and dependents. More … http://allafrica.com/stories/200709210776.html

Boots launches organic cosmetics range
Organic Monitor 17/09/2007

Boots, a leading chemist retailer and healthcare company in the UK, has developed an organic line of cosmetics that will be launched under the Botanics Organic banner in October. They range from 90% to 100% certified organic content and all contain a 100% organic essential oil blend, either of rose, geranium and bergamot or peppermint, frankincense and lemon.

Boots is the latest British retailer to jump on the organic cosmetics bandwagon. Although Boots has a key advantage in that it is launching its organic products under an existing successful brand, it remains to be seen how consumers respond. Boots is not perceived as a green retailer; indeed, its organic product range mainly comprises organic baby food. Organic Monitor believes Boots success with its Botanics Organic range will largely depend on marketing, especially product differentiation.

Boots market entry does however highlight the fast pace of change in the natural & organic cosmetics industry. Within a year, all leading British retailers have launched these products under their private labels. More … http://www.organicmonitor.com/uk.htm#1

The individual comments and views expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily represent the view of OANZ.