The Rural Voice, 1989-09, Page 35OMAF does there's a lot of hope
there. He's a bright guy."
Wilford is a member of the Com-
mittee on Monetary and Economic
Reform which sponsored the confer-
ence on "Financing the Turnaround
Decade 1990-2000." He co-chaired
an agricultural workshop during the
three-day event with Lorri King, vice-
president of the Organic Food Produc-
tion Association of North America.
King, who owns two full -range
natural food stores, one in Oakville
(covering 4,000 square feet) and the
other in Hamilton, says the demand
for organic products outstrips supply.
"Consumers," she says, "are becoming
more and more aware."
But the supply side is hobbled by
an undeveloped distribution system,
and some organic produce goes into
the conventional market because
farmers don't know where to sell it.
Some distributors, King says, are
opening up. She draws on 140 sup-
pliers from across North America, and
when possible buys locally produced
meats, grains, beans, fruits, and
vegetables.
Consumers, she says, are willing to
pay a premium for organic foods. The
cost of buying organic groceries is up
to 10 per cent higher in summer and
40 to 50 per cent higher in winter.
But the true costs of eating organic
foods are much less than the cost of
eating conventionally produced foods,
she says.
"True costs" were a central issue at
the conference, at which means of
paying for environmental clean-up and
sustainable methods of doing business
were explored.
In the long term, says Wilford,
chemicals on the farm are just too ex-
pensive, and farmers are being trapped
by the notion that more chemicals can
make up for lower agricultural prices.
For alternatives, they should be
contacting the Organic Crop Improve-
ment Association or the Ecological
Farmers Association of Ontario. Or,
says Wilford, they should "phone
Loblaws."
But Patrick Carson, vice-president
of the environment for Loblaws, who
was also a panelist at the conference,
says that might be a little hasty.
He'd like to see all the links in the
food chain, from farmers, including
Patrick Carson of Loblaws.
"mainstream farmers," to consumers,
working together to come up with a
definition of organic. "What is organ-
ic?" he asks, "And how do we co-
ordinate organics across this country?"
In the meantime, Carson says, the
"green" or "environmentally friendly"
products that Loblaws is marketing are
"very successful," and there are plans
to expand the product line.
The key, he says, is education at
all levels, and particularly education
of the consumer. If consumers shop
for the lowest price, supermarkets put
demands on conventional farmers, and
they don't have the time or the money
to look at organic growing, he adds.
Carson says putting new products
on the shelves can be complicated.
Asked about the "natural beef" sold at
Loblaws, he says he's aware that the
word "natural" may be interpreted to
imply that other beef is not as healthy,
but says the issue could "turn out to be
a blessing for the farmer."
"Natural beef" and organic
products are priced higher than other
foods, he says, and maybe consumers
will begin to realize that spending less
of their disposable income on food
Certifiably organic food has been
strictly defined by the Organic
Foods Production Association. In
brief, it is "produced, processed,
packaged, transported and stored
without the use of synthetic pest-
icides, fertilizers, artificial addi-
tives, preservatives or irradia-
tion." It also "promotes the family
farm and rebuilds the soil through
ecologically sound methods."
than other Western countries has hid-
den costs. The tax handout to farmers,
for example, is really going back to
consumers, he says.
"We're taking people with tremen-
dous skills and forcing them to work a
farm part-time and an assembly line
part-time. Where's the incentive for
the farmer?" Carson says.
Canadians must be educated to
be more responsible about sustaining
agriculture. "That may come at a
higher price," Carson says. "But
there are no free lunches."
"I believe we should let the
Japanese have their VCRs. I believe
that Canada should concentrate on
becoming the best in growing food
as sustainably as we possible can —
whatever that means. Because I
believe the 21st century is going to
see food shortages."
Loblaws, he says, has begun to
read the environmental signposts,
from bankruptcy among farmers to the
pollution of lakes and rivers and the
degradation of soil. "All the evidence
shows that this planet is dying."
"Our whole economic system,"
Carson adds, "is based on an unsus-
tainable method of agriculture, a
diminishing return on investment."
"The farmer," he adds, "is a
diminishing species."
Lise Gunby
ORGANIC FARMING:
DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY
Organic farming, according to
Agriculture Canada, "will experience
phenomenal growth over the next few
years."
"In Quebec alone, where there are
already 125 certified producers, it's
estimated that 2,000 farmers will
adopt organic production methods
within the next five years."
The trend is likely to occur across
the country, says agrologist Therese
Otis. Already the demand for food
that does not contain additives and
chemicals is exceeding supply.
Education, says Otis, is critical,
and an enormous amount of work has
to be done creating awareness among
farmers, agrologists, and researchers.
"Producers would be happy to
eliminate chemicals, but they need an
effective and practical alternative."0
SEPTEMBER 1989 33