IDM ¦ Editorial
Exaggerated slogans
all over
The ominous „25 percent organics“ chatter
The European Union has set ambitious goals to increase the market share of organic foods to 25
percent by 2030. This is basically as fine as it sounds well in the ears not only of “green“ consumers
but of almost everyone. But the EU has simply forgotten to present the Master Plan of how to get
to a 25 percent market share.
The ominous European Green Deal of which the Farm to Fork Strategy is an essential part has not
taken the full picture into account. One could say that this is quite typical for the EU and its institutions
who are simply unable to develop sound strategies. But the Green Deal is just too important
to be installed without public discussion and assessment of its consequences as it is more than likely
to fundamentally change the life of people. Of course, its all about politics. Big slogans and messages
are always needed to transport political messages. Yet, we need well developed strategies
and economic assessment if we really want to get to a carbon neutral continent by 2050 and still
have a market economy. Social or environmental trade-offs must be studied before and it must be
clear that measures taken really will lead to the desired effects.
Getting back to organic foods, the ominous 25% slogan might just stay what it is, a mere motto.
It needs money in the hands of consumers to buy the necessarily more expensive organic products.
And it needs a common agreement that it is really worth buying organic foods. There’s even more:
it needs a kind of guarantee for growers and producers of organic foods that they will be able to
sell their produce in the end. Otherwise, not too many will convert from conventional to organic
farming or to processing and marketing of such raw material. Brussels and Member States must
develop a reasonable plan for how the 450+ million consumer block EU can be lead to eat more
organic foods. But as always there’s little to hear from the EU other than issuing exaggerated announcements,
thinks Roland Sossna.
Roland Sossna
Editor IDM
International Dairy Magazine
sossna@blmedien.de
international-dairy.com
4 · May/June 2021 ¦ international-dairy.com
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