The Farmers Mart Jun-Jul 2018 - Issue 57 | Page 16

16 FARM NEWS
JUN/JUL 2018 • farmers-mart.co.uk
EU votes to extend their ban on neonicotinoid pesticides
27TH April, the EU Mem-
ber States voted in favour of
extending their ban of neonic-
otinoid pesticides. In a move
that means good news for our
vital pollinators, neonicotinoids
will be banned on all outdoor
crops.
Peter Melchett, Soil Associa-
tion Policy Director, responded
to the decision:
“The clear evidence of neonic-
otinoids’ harm to pollinators, and
to wildlife in general, has been
mounting for some time. Almost
all the toxic neonicotinoid spray
gets into the soil rather than the
crop, and from there to wild flow-
ers and hedges around the edges
of fields. Bees and other insects
prefer feeding on wildflowers,
which neonicotinoids can turn
into deadly toxic traps. Today’s
vote by EU member states, to
extend their ban of neonicotinoids
to include all outdoor crops, is a
welcome demonstration that this
overwhelming evidence can no
longer be ignored.
“In recent comments Michael
Gove has been firm in his resolve
to support tougher restrictions
on neonicotinoids, and we also
welcome his pledge to reward
environmentally-friendly farming
Government urged to
commit to expanding
organic food and farming
THE English Organic Forum has written to
Environment Secretary of State Michael
Gove highlighting that the UK is lagging be-
hind its major European competitors in the
development of organic food and farming.
The letter sets out why stronger support
for organic farming would be a significant
opportunity to deliver both economic and
environmental benefits, consistent with
government policy aspirations.
Nic Lampkin, Chair of the English Organic
Forum and Director of the Organic Research
Centre, says: “The UK needs to up its game
and focus more on organic food and farming
if it is to reach its ambition for a new agri-
cultural policy that delivers public goods
as well as economic benefits. Organic food
and farming is closely aligned to the Govern-
ment’s key aspiration of a ‘Green Brexit’.”
Consumer demand for organic food and
farming has seen record breaking growth in
the UK and globally.
Adrian Blackshaw, Chair of the Organic
Trade Board says, “Currently the European
organic market is worth over £30 billion, while
globally the organic market has reached
£70billion retail sales value. In the UK the
organic market achieved £2.2billion retail
sales value, with nearly 7% growth in 2017. But
many EU countries have seen 20% market
growth rates in recent years. Clearly we have
some catching up to do just to satisfy growing
consumer demand.”
Organic farming accounts for 6.7% of farm-
land under production in the EU (UK 3%). Italy,
Sweden and Austria are between 15-20%.
President Macron has declared a target of 22%
of French farmland to be organic by 2022.
The English Organic Forum believes that
there is a significant opportunity for the UK to
catch up and achieve a share of at least 10%
of UK food and farming, given appropriate
support. Indeed, meeting more of the current
and potential future demand for organic food
from domestic production, rather than im-
ports, would deliver economic and environ-
mental benefits.
‘
Bees and other
insects prefer
feeding on
wildflowers, which
neonicotinoids can
turn into deadly
toxic traps
’
practices in post-Brexit agricul-
tural policy. We now urge the
Government to consider the
bigger picture. The current model
of farming, based on a limited
number of crops sprayed with a
rapidly increasing number of toxic
ingredients, is causing devastating
harm to the environment and to
the wildlife that depends on it.”
www.soilassociation.org
VEGGIE-
MIGHT
HOT on the heels of introducing its biggest
ever range of meat-free foods in October
2017, Waitrose is set to expand its selection of
vegan and vegetarian food. The supermarket
will increase its total vegan and vegetarian
assortment by 60%.
Among the 50 new products are two ex-
clusive brands, The Happy Pear – created
by renowned plant-based and whole food
chef duo David and Stephen Flynn, and
The Vegetarian Butcher - a Dutch company
specialising in meat substitutes, made using
plant-based proteins.
Kantar UK Insights predict 2018 to be
the year Brits go vegan, also noting it is the
year that plant-based diets go mainstream.
Waitrose is seeing this reflected in its sales
of vegetarian food, up 34% against the same
time last year.
In a supermarket first, the retailer will
have a dedicated vegan section, which
will be signposted in its shops. In total, the
range will feature 125 ingredients, ready
meals and other meat-free products
designed to make shopping easier for
customers looking for vegetarian and vegan
options.
The range, which launches in Waitrose
from Monday 4th June, will see an increase
of products available in all shops.
New range of cold-pressed juices reclaiming wonky fruit and veg
A new range of cold-pressed
juices, using wonky fruit and veg-
etables that may otherwise have
gone to waste, has exclusively
launched in Tesco.
Included in the range, called
Waste NOT, will be surplus apples,
beetroot, strawberries and water-
melon that fall outside produce
specifications.
At £1.50 per 250ml bottle, the
range will undercut the cold press
juice drink market and it is hoped
that within the first 12 weeks of
going on sale that they will save
around 3.5 tonnes of surplus/
waste fruit and vegetables.
The range features the following
drinks:
• Orange, Carrot and Apple
• Orange, Beetroot and Apple
• Apple, Watermelon, Strawber-
ry, Cucumber and Mint
• Orange, Apple, Celery and
Spinach
All the fruit and vegetables in
the drinks will be cold-pressed –
which involves squeezing the juice
in small batches instead of heat
pasteurising it.
Putting the juice under high
pressure in this way maintains the
freshness of the product.
The Waste NOT range, which has
been created by two of Tesco’s
major produce suppliers, G’s and
AMC, will be sold in about 350
Tesco stores across the UK.