Organic Farming: EU Launches Food & Farming Promo

Organic Farming In Europe: European Commission launches new promotional campaign for organic food and farming

The European Commission recently launched the European Union's new Organic Farming Campaign at the Foire de Libramont agricultural fair in Belgium.

Under the campaign slogan: "Organic farming. Good for nature, good for you", the promotional campaign aims to inform consumers about the meaning and benefits of organic farming and food production.

The campaign will focus on increasing consumer awareness and recognition of organic products, and especially on young people and children to carry the organic idea into the future.

"Consumer demand for organic products is growing, offering increased business opportunities for all sectors of the food supply chain. In launching this campaign, I call on all stakeholders involved in organic farming to promote the organic idea with the help of the new campaign slogan 'Organic Farming. Good for nature, good for you," said Mariann Fischer Boel, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.

In the last few years, the number of organic operators - farmers, producers, processors and importers - has grown strongly. In 2005, there was a total of 182,305 of these operators in the EU-25, a 13.4 percent increase from 2004. In recent years, the European organic retail market has experienced strong growth of between 5 and 30 percent, depending on the country. Increasing consumer demand is strengthening the organic market and giving farmers and processors new opportunities.

The Commission will launch the campaign and announce a competition to develop a new organic farming logo at a press conference today hosted by the European Commission and the Foire de Libramont, a major agricultural fair that showcases the many aspects of the rural world.

The press conference will also be attended by Sabine Laruelle, the Belgian Minister for SMEs, the Self-Employed, Agriculture and Scientific Policy; Benoit Lutgen, Minister for Agriculture, Rural Affairs, the Environment and Tourism for the Walloon Region; and Mr Kris Peeters, Minister-President of the Flemish Government. The Commission will unveil the centrepiece of the EC campaign - the new multilingual website for organic farming www.organic-farming.europa.eu, containing an electronic "toolbox" that provides marketing materials in 22 languages free of charge to professionals throughout the entire food and farming sector in order to promote organic production and farming.

The Organic Farming Campaign was developed with an umbrella–style approach that serves the interests of organic operators within the EU and empowers them to actively promote organic farming. The Commission created the campaign in cooperation with the Experts group for the promotion of organic agriculture.

The national experts include representatives from national ministries for agriculture as well as national and international associations working with organic farming and production.

The campaign is launched within the framework of the European Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming. This action plan sets out 21 initiatives for developing the organic food market and improving standards by increasing efficiency and transparency and thereby increasing consumer confidence.

For more information on the Organic Farming Campaign: "Organic farming. Good for nature, good for you." and print-quality visual materials and images please visit www.organic-farming.europa.eu.

ENDS

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