Organic Farmers and Growers has rejected claims that some organic production systems amount to semi-industrial farming and need to be improved.
The certification body said Patrick Holden, director of the Soil Association, was "fanciful" to say welfare in the poultry and dairy sector was not up to scratch (The Grocer, 13 January, p12).
"The UK organic standard sets out one of the toughest regulatory frameworks of farming in the UK, if not the world," said Richard Jacobs, MD of OF&G. He also rejected Holden's claim that the Soil Association applied stricter welfare standards for producers than other organic certification bodies.
"Standards differ more significntly in just a couple of areas, but whether the differences make their standard 'better' is highly subjective."
Holden stood by his comments to The Grocer that some members of the public would be disappointed at the way organic livestock is produced, especially in poultry and dairy. Animals were intensively farmed and bred for yield at the cost of welfare, he claimed.
"There is no doubt as the market grows, there will be pressures to dilute standards," he said.
A good example was the European Commission proposal to allow 0.9% GM matter in organic feed. He said the only way to deal with the shortcomings of organic systems was to tighten up the standards and return to more balanced animal breeds on less intensive systems.
"That's what people want. It's no good saying we can't raise standards because it costs too much." Jacobs claimed this was unrealistic, however.
"Farming is not about one or two happy animals in lush pasture. I think this is what Patrick and his colleagues would like it to be, but that's only possible if we all keep our own livestock in little paddocks."
The certification body said Patrick Holden, director of the Soil Association, was "fanciful" to say welfare in the poultry and dairy sector was not up to scratch (The Grocer, 13 January, p12).
"The UK organic standard sets out one of the toughest regulatory frameworks of farming in the UK, if not the world," said Richard Jacobs, MD of OF&G. He also rejected Holden's claim that the Soil Association applied stricter welfare standards for producers than other organic certification bodies.
"Standards differ more significntly in just a couple of areas, but whether the differences make their standard 'better' is highly subjective."
Holden stood by his comments to The Grocer that some members of the public would be disappointed at the way organic livestock is produced, especially in poultry and dairy. Animals were intensively farmed and bred for yield at the cost of welfare, he claimed.
"There is no doubt as the market grows, there will be pressures to dilute standards," he said.
A good example was the European Commission proposal to allow 0.9% GM matter in organic feed. He said the only way to deal with the shortcomings of organic systems was to tighten up the standards and return to more balanced animal breeds on less intensive systems.
"That's what people want. It's no good saying we can't raise standards because it costs too much." Jacobs claimed this was unrealistic, however.
"Farming is not about one or two happy animals in lush pasture. I think this is what Patrick and his colleagues would like it to be, but that's only possible if we all keep our own livestock in little paddocks."
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