While EU organic legislation and polices, such as the CAP and policies on research and innovation, affect organic farming directly and indirectly, other EU policies also have significant implications for the development of agro-ecological approaches. A paradigm shift towards sustainability in EU food and farming also depends on EU rules and regulations that empower rather that impede the growth of small and local businesses and sustainable consumption. Organic farmers have always been pioneers of sustainability of food and agriculture, offering solutions that not only benefit the rest of organic sector, but which can also inspire the entire food and farming sector.
A lot of organic farms are involved in on-farm processing and direct marketing. As these activities help them to create own added value through use the 2004 EU Food Hygiene Package. But it has been found that the process is difficult for the farmers of many Member States, as they put added costs to answer these strict requirements. Some farmers have had as a result to give up processing altogether. Also, Member States often do not properly implement the flexibility measures, allowing adapted rules and lesions for primary producers. The later are engaged in direct supply chains involving small quantities of primary products, or for local retailers supplying directly to consumers.
The introduced hygiene requirements influence the processing sector and cause bigger confirmation of processing facilities. For instance, many small butchers have been forced out of business due to economic constraints and difficult hygiene rules. This limits the opportunities for organic farmers to deliver their products to certified organic processors within an appropriate distance of their farm.
The majority of European consumers throw out genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food.The risk of GMO pollution of food is still not definitely concerned by the EU authorities. Thus, the organic sector still stands high costs in ceasing the risk of such contamination. Such events happened in Spain, where GM maize has contaminated organic fields, and some farmers have lost their organic certification and their premium prices. As a consequence, many of these organic farmers have ceased to cultivate maize in those traditional regions, which cause loss of local maize sorts.
In order to prevent the soy and maize from such contamination processing companies, working with soy and maize reported in 2009 costs of about EUR 20-86 per tonne.
The plant genetics is working in favor of the organic farming through disposal of a broad range of species responding to consumer demand and to different geographic conditions. The growing environmental challenges in Europe such as resource depletion and climate change are of crucial importance for special care towards plant genetic resources and their preservation. Therefore, it could be possible to market new varieties and populations adapted to low input and local conditions.
EU legislation on the marketing of seed and planting material definitely restricts market access to registered plant varieties. There are strict criteria for registration and certification of plant reproductive material. This policy affords to market concentration in seed companies and loss of genetic diversity in crops. In this way, the legislation needs to be tailored to support farmers’ rights and facilitate the conservation and further development of genetic resources and the diversity of crops.
Farming community in Europe is growing old very fast. Investigations in this respect show that in 2007 1 farmer under the age of 35 relates with nine farmers over 55. Beginning from 1975 and lasting to 2007, the total farm numbers for Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the UK decrease with more than 2.6 million, measured with loss of 83 000 farms per year. Of these, almost 1.8 million were in Italy and France alone. Substantial renewal is crucial for the evolution of economically viable rural areas and the preservation of diverse cultural landscapes, and for high quality food production, biodiversity and food cultures. Younger farmers also need access to land. As no EU-wide framework can provide an all-in-one solution, a coordinated mix of policy measures is needed, which takes into account the CAP and other EU policies and encourages young people to take-up farming. This should include a common understanding between Member States of land use policy.
To choose the proper food depends on many factors: from cultural proficiency to the information maintaining the transparency of production process. The EU legislation on food information to consumers can ensure consumers with detailed information about ingredients.
The organic logo is an important element linked to a certification pattern based on a broad number of sustainability aspects. The use of different labels and logos is now also actual for debate at EU level.
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