Organic Farming (Hansard, 19 June 1997)

§ 5. Mr. Baker
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to encourage the organic farming sector. [2895]

§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Elliot Morley)
We want to encourage an expansion of organic production and are considering the best ways of achieving that.

§ Mr. Baker
I am grateful to the Minister for his encouragement. Is he aware that, according to the House of Commons Library, only 0.1 per cent. of land in England is farmed organically, which compares unfavourably with other European countries—for example, in Austria, the figure is 8 per cent.—and that the previous Government's investment to promote organic farming was lamentable in the extreme?
Will the Minister increase the amount of money allocated by the Government to improve and encourage organic farming? Will he ensure that home demand is met by this country, because currently it is being met by imports, which is disadvantageous for consumers and farmers?

§ Mr. Morley
The actual figure for production is 0.3 per cent. Nevertheless, it is very low compared with the European average. The Government want to 444 encourage organic production and we recognise that there is a market for organic products. However, the market in, for example, milk is currently being filled by imports because this country cannot meet the necessary production level. The Agriculture Select Committee has produced an excellent report and made a number of recommendations relating to the organic sector, to which this Government will be responding shortly.

§ Mr. Flynn
I welcome my hon. Friend to his new post. Although the increase in organic farming is welcome, does it not still mean that the other type of farming—which could be correctly labelled chemical farming—is responsible for the majority of our farm products? When looking at the cost of products from organic farms, why do we not take into account the cost of products from chemical farms—which should be measured not just immediately in the marketplace, but over hundreds, if not thousands of years in the enormous damage that pesticides and other chemicals do to our environment?

§ Mr. Morley
My hon. Friend makes a good point. With intensive agriculture, the cost of inputs is important for both the long-term environmental consequences and the cost of production that farmers have to bear. The organic sector has an important role and we are encouraging a reduced use of inputs such as integrated crop management.

§ Mr. Boswell
I welcome the hon. Gentleman to his new responsibilities. Given the efforts of his hon. Friends, over a long time and through a characteristic drip feed, to belittle the real efforts made by Conservative Ministers to support organic farming, including expenditure of more than £1 million a year and the launch last year of the organic conversion information service, will the Minister tell the House how much extra funding his Department will make available for organic farming, where the money will be found and when?

§ Mr. Morley
The current year's budget for organic conversion is more than £800,000. There is also £1 million available for research and development in the organic sector. The amount available for conversion will increase in the next financial year—that is already in the Department's budget. It is an important matter.
It is fair to point out that the take-up of funds under the Conservative Government was lower than the amount available because of the level of conversion grants. It is an issue that we are considering in our response to the Select Committee report.