Organic food 'lacks funding support'

SALES of organic food in the UK have fallen because of a lack of government support for farmers, a new report has claimed.

In the study, entitled The Lazy Man of Europe, the Soil Association said sales continued to grow in other European nations during the recession, while UK sales fell by 13.6 per cent in 2009.

"In 2007, Richard Lochhead stood up and pledged 45 million in supporting organic farming," said Scottish policy adviser Hugh Raven.

"The figures show that at the rate the money is being handed out, he will only have given a third of it out over the course of the Scottish Rural Development Plan.

"This means that both farms that are already organic and want to stay that way and those that are wanting to start growing organic produce cannot do it."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "The Scottish Government continues to support organic farming through grant schemes for farmers to convert to organic farming, and for farmers who wish to maintain organic farming."