IFOAM Organics Europe director discusses the state of EU chemical-free farming as elections loom

01 May 2024 --- The umbrella organization representing the EU’s organic food and farming sector before policymakers and advocating for the transformation of these sectors, IFOAM Organics Europe, highlights the need for regulatory changes ahead of the EU parliamentary elections coming up on June 6-9. 

Nutrition Insight sits down with IFOAM Organics Europe director Eduardo Cuoco to discuss the policy changes the organization is recommending to EU policymakers and member states to stimulate organic production within the bloc.

“The current action plan for organic production in the EU (2021) sets the right priorities — it wants to both boost demand and ensure trust in organic and stimulate production at the same time,” argues Cuoco.

“Our manifesto ahead of the EU elections echoes this approach. It is impossible to stimulate consumer demand without ensuring those who produce our food receive fair pay — specifically, farmers who provide higher environmental and social benefits should be remunerated accordingly.”

Cuoco further calls for taxes on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers to be raised, “especially those that are known to have adverse effects on humans and the environment.”

Consumer interest 
Discussing the measures policymakers should take to ensure the competitiveness of the organics industry, Cuoco points to several measures the institutions can stand behind to make such products more appealing to the European consumer.

“To stimulate consumers’ demand for organic products, it is crucial that they make informed choices. This starts by developing policies that show the true price of food and include these in food prices, for example, through taxation,” he asserts. 

IFOAM Organics Europe director Eduardo Cuoco.“Moreover, EU policies should protect consumers from greenwashing. Effective legislation to curb greenwashing should prioritize methodological advancements, steering agricultural policies away from further intensification.”

Commenting on the EU’s green claims directive, the European Consumer Organisation’s Dimitri Vergne told us that the new legislation approved at the start of this year would get rid of “misleading” claims on produce and other food items sold in the EU, such as “carbon-neutral,” “zero emission” and “climate positive.”

Cuoco asserts that: “The Product Environmental Footprint methodology used in the green claims directive is too simplistic to assess agri-food products’ environmental impact. Public institutions themselves can also increase consumption of organic products via Sustainable Public Procurement.”

He makes the argument that EU legislation should include a mandatory clause setting minimum quotas for organic products in public institutions such as schools, kindergartens, and hospitals. 

“For successful implementation, Sustainable Public Procurement policies must be supported by national and regional targets for organic, national certification schemes at the member state level across various sectors, and the implementation of education and mentoring programs.”

Not a luxury item
Another reason for some EU consumers’ reluctance to purchase organic food is the comparably higher prices. Cuoco argues that organically-grown produce should not be less affordable.

“First and foremost, IFOAM Organics Europe proposes to consider the true cost of food — positive and negative externalities (the indirect costs of food production) — resulting from our agri-food system,” he comments.

He points out that the cost of groundwater pollution for a hectare of conventional potatoes amounts to €1,298 (US$1,385), while it amounts to €0,40 (US$0,43) for a hectare of organic potatoes. “The cost of this pollution is currently borne by the public who pay for water sanitation through taxes.”

Some EU consumers’ reluctance to purchase organic food is the comparably higher prices.“If food were to reflect the prices of ‘externalities’ like this, the price of conventionally produced food would go up while that of organic food would remain largely the same. However, for this strategy to succeed, higher prices for synthetic inputs must be accompanied by competitively priced alternatives, such as biocontrol products, to prevent cost pressures on farmers,” he explains.

Effective implementation of this approach requires supportive policies and clear communication to underline its rationale, according to Cuoco. He contends that this taxation model would favor organic products downstream, benefiting consumers and stimulating demand for organic foods.

“In both scenarios, negative externalities are recognized, and higher prices are placed on unsustainably produced goods while the price for organically produced foods remains the same.” 

EU organic farming today 
The annual report from the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture noted a contraction in the organic market in 2022. 

Discussing what is behind these numbers, Cuoco comments: “From 2015 to 2020, demand for organic products doubled, and this growth continued and even peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

“However, the pandemic caused supply chain disruptions which lingered. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, prices in synthetic fertilizers and pesticides peaked, leading to further challenges to the supply chain and increased costs for farming methods depending on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.”

He argues that during this period, consumers experienced not only increased food prices but also inflation, which significantly impacted their spending patterns.

Cuoco concludes: ”While the organic market moderately contracted in 2022, it generally remains as it was before the 2020 peak. Trends from 2019 to 2023 even indicate that the organic market is growing as anticipated, reflecting sustained interest and potential for future expansion in this sector.

By Milana Nikolova