Organic industry benefits from the dioxin scandal

Organic industry benefits from the continuing dioxin scandal

The dioxin scandal has boosted sales of organic products significantly. However, the market share of domestic organic farmers is declining more and more, and so they can benefit only marginally from the positive development.

While the sale of organic products in Germany increased by around 180 percent from 2000 to 2009, the organic agricultural areas have only moderately increased. The proportion of areas and the number of organically managed holdings grew by only about 75 percent during the same period, according to a study by the University of Bonn. In order to meet the demand nevertheless, large quantities of organic products have been imported from abroad for years. However, the drastic increase in demand in the wake of the dioxin scandal has led to the first supply bottlenecks in many organic stores despite imported organic products. In addition, German producers of organic products are losing more and more market share due to the massive increase in imports in this country.

Germany's largest sales market for organic products
The study by the University of Bonn has shown that Germany is now the largest sales market in Europe for organic farming products. But domestic producers can hardly benefit from the development and also in the small organic shops there are first bottlenecks. For example, owners such as Claudia Prehn from Frohnhausen report that even through organic wholesaling the desired supply is not always guaranteed: „I am being rationed by the wholesalers - what else is hardly left to the exorbitant demand“ Especially with organic eggs, the dioxin scandal has triggered a veritable surge in demand, which producers can not satisfy with current production. „The chickens do not suddenly lay more eggs“, stressed Elke Remiorsch from Steele, also owner of a organic shop.

Domestic growers hardly benefit from the organic trend
The agronomists Ulrich Köpke, Daniel Neuhoff and Paul Martin Küpper come in a study that they have commissioned by the Greens parliamentary group, to the conclusion that not only due to the current development of domestic organic products lose more and more market share, but this one has been a trend for years. The massive loss of market share „is particularly noticeable in the image-embossing fruit and vegetables segment“, explain the experts. Because „whether apples, strawberries or tomatoes“, Market shares fell continuously in the period under review, the agricultural scientists report. In addition to fruit and vegetables, organically grown cereals and feed must increasingly be imported from abroad, so that the value added of organic foodstuffs is increasingly shifting abroad. In particular, Eastern Europe, where domestic demand for organic products is low, but large areas of agricultural land are available, thereby benefiting from the current development, so the statement of agricultural scientists.

Regional products as a healthy alternative
The Green Bundestag member Cornelia Behm, criticized in view of the results of the study carried out on behalf of her party that imported organic products „after long transports (...) Bio but often no longer eco“ if, for example, greenhouse gas emissions from lorries and aircraft are taken into account. The current development was not wanted by the consumers, stressed Behm. The loss of domestic producers 'market shares as well as the steadily rising import volumes also speak in favor of an expansion of domestic organic production as well as consumers' increased desire for safe food, explained Behm. „Those who want healthy food should first and foremost rely on regional products, because the fewer middlemen, the better the traceability“, emphasized the member of the Bundestag of the Greens.

Promotion of organic farming has been systematically reduced
According to agricultural scientists Ulrich Köpke, Daniel Neuhoff and Paul Martin Küpper, the supply and demand for organic products in Germany are so drastically divergent that the political decisions taken since 2005 have largely been due. According to the experts, the promotion of organic farming in this country was systematically reduced with the inauguration of the grand coalition (CDU / SPD) and later under the Christian-liberal government. For example, funding for the conversion of conventional farms to organic farming has been cut by about 11 percent between 2004 and 2009, according to the agricultural scientists. „Politics no longer sets priorities and incentives here“ At the same time, the Federal Government is concentrating on export promotion of conventional products such as dairy products for the Middle East or cheap pork for the (South) East Asian region.

If the dioxin scandal was the initial spark for a permanently changing consumption behavior of the consumers, the organic shops are in any case in rosy times. For the first time, many people are thinking about the origin and quality of food on the occasion of the current events „experience that they can exercise power through their purchasing decisions, that they can have a say in how the environment is handled“, stressed the organic store owner Prehn. But here, too, politicians are urgently called for improvements, for example in the promotion of organic agriculture, in order to significantly improve the long-term supply of locally produced organic products. However, it remains to be seen how long reason will prevail among consumers. Because unlike, for example, in the case of the French, German consumers are still dominated by the idea of ​​becoming an advertising slogan „Stinginess is cool“ - also in terms of eating habits. However, those who always buy only the cheapest products, should not be surprised if scandals such as the current dioxin finds occur in the underlying hard price war again and again. Although the decision of many Germans to switch to organic eggs for the time being after the dioxin scandal is indeed a step in the right direction, the return to old habits threatens as soon as the scandal is over. (Fp)

Also read:
Greenpeace finds pollutants in peppers
Dioxin in pork no health hazard

More about the dioxin scandal in eggs and pork:
Dioxin pork in the supermarket
Dioxin eggs by pesticides?
Detecting dioxin eggs in the supermarket
iPhone app detects dioxin eggs
Dioxin eggs also in Bavaria
Dioxin eggs: Procuratorate identified
Health risk from dioxin eggs
Dioxin burden apparently known for months

Picture: Peter von Bechen