Food chain adviser Oliver Rubinstein explains why it is important the NFU and its members engage with government on organics, as new EU regulations move forward.
He writes:
The EU has come to a crucial stage in the revision of the regulations that determine how organic producers operate. The NFU is working hard on behalf of our 2,000 organic members to ensure that any changes are not detrimental to their businesses.
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It is crucial that both Defra and the EU hear directly from farmers on this issue. That is why we arranged an on-farm meeting with Defra to discuss our concerns relating to restrictions on feed sourcing, mixed holdings and access to reproductive material.
It is clear Defra share our concerns with these proposals...
Although a lot of the discussions focused on poultry, the majority of issues were relevant across the organic sector. We also talked about how we can assist Defra in its negotiation work as part of the EU Council - for example by providing evidence and case studies. Likewise, the visit also gave Defra staff the chance hear first-hand how the current proposals would affect organic producers; in some cases their businesses would be significantly compromised. We will be following up this meeting with further cases studies from other sectors too.
On the back of this, it is clear Defra share our concerns with these proposals and this meeting definitely helped clarify our respective positions. Importantly, they feel that the specific details within many of the proposals will continue to change and presently, we should not be too concerned by figures such as the suggested 150km radius for feed sourcing. That said, it is essential that lobbying efforts continue throughout this final stage to ensure that the necessary changes are made.
Unfortunately Defra were not able to give any idea of the likely timescale of the final stage of negotiations. They are, however, very much aware of the uncertainty this brings for producers and aim to clarify this as soon as possible. The NFU will continue to work closely with them throughout this process and has compiled a series of case studies to support our lobbying work, which we will share. Their team are keen to support their negotiations with real-life examples, so can now draw upon these case studies to back-up their arguments.