Agriculture Reference
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many hold even more pessimistic arguments about global warming and the vicissitudes of
global warming (Holden 2007, Pfeiffer 2006).
For many hailing the need for a new or doubly green revolution, the appeal of this sort of
administrative rationalism is apparent, and to a degree those groups thet opposed, which
opposed the aspects of the green revolution, are opposed to this renaissance. Yet, it is
apparent that both groups share many of the same epistemic assumptions; the finite limits of
the planet, the demographic pressures and the impending peril of climate change. Equally
aspects of their lexicon are shared, dominated by conservation of resources, shades of green
and the importance of biological processes. It is over questions of participation, the forms of
technology to be deployed, the role of liberal markets and national autonomy that they
diverge.
5. Collapsed in the aisles
In fact, much of the 'organic' produce shipped in from around the world and across the UK
today carries no sense of connection with its geography or its farmers. It is as anonymous as
the majority of conventional chemically produced foods, as dull in flavour and as lacking in
nutritional vitality (Rose 2010)
Sir Julian Rose used his position as a pioneer, having farmed organically since 1975, and an
article in
The Ecologist
magazine to point out the failings of the contemporary organic
industry. His answer was for the movement to return to its roots and to stop chasing a “big
branded chimera”. In this Sir Julian echoed academic and activists critiques of organic food.
The sociologist Raj Patel has condemned the difference between organic and non-organic
food as the choice between 'Pepsi and coke' (Patel 2007). Whilst Heath and Potter condemn
organic products because organics they argue is based on unfounded health claims and the
difference in price purchases only social distinction, in contrast to their quixotic example of
a hybrid car. Although Patel, Heath and Potter are drawing on the North American
experience for their critique Rose's follows the same pattern although confining itself the
UK. Organic food has become a commodity like any other by being sold in supermarkets,
and for Heath and Potter they are worse because they claim a spurious moral status and so
create a socially destructive cachet or 'cool'. Their arguments are not based on evidence but
rather an argument that the system of retailing is, as Rose argues, “Orwellian”.
Attacks such as Rose's are hardly new in
The Ecologist
but the difference was the context of
this criticism, as sales of organic food in the supermarkets and beyond were falling. Organic
sales began to fall as soon as the recession began with sales falling by 13.9% at the of 2009,
after rising by 1.7% overall in 2008 and showing a signs of a return in 2010 as month by
month comparisons moved from -12% to -8%. This was not a uniform decline, with
babyfood and milk continuing to increase sales throughout the period, whilst organic
prepared foods, meat and brands such as Duchy Originals, owned by Prince Charles, being
particularly hit
(The Soil Association 2010)
. Although the opponents of organics in the media
and farming industry sniped, analysts in the retail sector remained confident in the
resilience of the organic sector.
Shoppers have not performed a u-turn on ethics, so the challenge for organic is to make sure
that communication of its benefits is clear and consistent. If they get that right, it would be
sensible to assume that volume sales could pick up as the economy recovers. (Grocer 2009)
The decline in sales certainly caused difficulties to businesses that were planning for
continued expansion and particularly for meat producers, with the most high profile victim
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