Soil Association asks Supermarkets 'What's your beef?'
In what seems to be a growing trend, ethics have come head-to-head with organics once again, as the Soil Association accuses supermarkets of under-cutting UK beef farmers and importing cheaper organic meat from abroad.
According to a new report, 'some' supermarkets are choosing to import meat for reasons of cost. Not only does this endanger farmers' security and put them off going organic, it adds a lot of extra 'meat miles' that lead to unnecessary carbon emissions. Since many choose organic food for its environmental benefits, the news will also damage customers faith in organic meat products. The Soil Association wants supermarkets to make pledges to increase the amount of produce they are willing to source from the UK in future. Customers can, of course, make the decision for themselves by checking the destination on the packet...
Phil Stocker, the Soil Association’s Head of Food & Farming, said the intention wasn’t to attack the supermarkets, but find a workable framework for British organic meat which will encourage farmers to make the decision to go organic.
“The issues raised in this beef report are similar or worse for every organic meat sector,” he said. “We focused on beef because it is an area where supply could meet demand year round almost immediately, and the public would expect this iconic product to be British. Unless we overhaul market structures, and implement some of the changes suggested in the report, there won’t be a UK organic beef sector of any scale.”
