09.01.06 - Organic Farms Get Royal Approval - back
Organic Farms Get Royal Approval
Britain's Prince Charles, who has been committed to organic food and farming for over 20 years, first put his principles into practice on his farm at Highgrove in Gloucestershire.
Recently, he described the development of the organic food market as staggering.
“It is extraordinary that sales of organic food have now topped €1.5 billion in the United Kingdom and are predicted to grow by more than €3 million a week.
“I sense that in the past some of the larger food manufacturers might have been sceptical about the organic market.
“But with figures like this it is little wonder that more and more of them are responding to demand and recognising that the consumer is becoming increasingly sophisticated and minding more and more about what they feed themselves and their families.
“Ultimately, the willingness of consumers to pay a premium for organic food depends on awareness of the benefits, and that in turn is connected to the education of the public.”
He said it should never be forgotten that in 1970 the average household in Britain spent 25% of its income on food. The equivalent figure today is about 10%.
“This is an astonishing change and I suspect it has much to do with consumers not valuing as much as once they did the food they eat and losing that vital connection with the land.
“But what could be more important than what we put inside ourselves and, more importantly, our children? As the saying goes ‘we are what we eat’.”
