UK May Deny Airfreighted Food "Organic" Label - Guardian

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Food imported to the UK by air may be denied the lucrative "organic" label under proposals being put forward today by the Soil Association. The UK's main organic certification body is concerned about the "food miles" involved in importing goods by air, which, environmentalists argue, contribute to global warming.

Supermarkets typically charge more for food labelled organic and many customers are increasingly favouring goods which have not been treated with pesticides and other chemicals.

At its annual conference in Cardiff today, the Soil Association launched a one-year consultation on a proposal to ban the air-freighting of organic food, in the hope of cutting the associated carbon dioxide emissions. The association's director, Patrick Holden, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "There is growing demand to reduce the carbon footprint of food distribution and we in the Soil Association take that very seriously."

He said the body's standards board would consider different labelling options, as well as carbon-offsetting plans as a way of managing the environmental impact of air-freighted food. However, he said, "This initiative wouldn't have been taken if there wasn't a pretty strong chance that the standards board would eventually decide on a total ban."

EDIT

http://environment.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,1999460,00.html