Expose' in Europe of the Anti-Organic Myth

UK: ORGANIC MYTHS BUSTED IN NEW REPORT
13 August

A new report which aims to counter the myths spread by the opponents of
organic food and farming has been published by the Soil Association and
Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming. The report is endorsed by
36 public interest groups ranging from the National Federation of Women's
Institutes to WWF-UK.

Produced as a resource for journalists, decision-makers commentators and
campaigners Organic food and farming: myth and reality takes up the
challenge of answering critics of the organic movement with factual, robust
and well-referenced information.
In particular it examines and refutes the claims that:
* Organic foods are no healthier than non-organic foods;
* Organic farming increases the risk of food poisoning;
* Organic farming uses pesticides that damage the environment;
* Consumers are paying too much for organic food;
* Organic food cannot feed a hungry world;
* Organic farming is unkind to animals.

The report also takes a look at the origins of a number of the organic myths
and the organisations and individuals that peddle them.
Adrian Long, Soil Association Head of Communications says,
'Myth and Reality exposes the misleading and erroneous statements made
against organic food and provides the facts that prove our critics wrong.
These myths are not conjured out of thin air, nor do they arrive at the
media's doorstep by chance. Many of our critics have a vested interest in
trying to destroy the trust that the public rightly have in organic food. We
hope that our report will help journalists and others to find their way
through the myth and reality of organic food and farming.'
Catherine Fookes, report author from the Organic Targets Campaign at Sustain
says,

'People are increasingly confused by the claims and counter-claims made
about organic food and farming. We wanted to clear up this confusion by
looking at the evidence and coming up with the facts on organics. For
instance, our research found that organic farming practices can reduce the
risk of bacteria such as E.coli in food. Those critics who slam organic food
for being high risk and more likely to cause food poisoning are wrong.'
With UK farming in crisis many groups in Sustain's membership also wanted to
ensure that the great opportunity that organic farming represents for UK
farmers to diversify is not destroyed by unsubstantiated myths.'
§ Copies of the report priced £10, are available from the Soil Association
(Tel. 0117 914 2446) or Sustain (Tel 020 7837 1228).
Contacts: Adrian Long Soil Association, Head of Communications, Work: 0117
987 4571 Mobile: 07796 998 041

Catherine Fookes, Sustain, Report Author, Work: 020 7837 1228 Home: 01600
869084 Mobile: 07979 534050

Web: www.soilassociation.org www.sustainweb.org
____________________________________________________________________________

THE PEDDLERS OF THE ANTI-ORGANIC MYTHS
for more on many of these see NGIN"s Web site
<http://members.tripod.com/~ngin/organic.htm>

The attacks on organic farming have come from several sources, including
free-market think tanks, a small number of academic institutions,
non-organic farming associations and fringe groups at both ends of the
political spectrum. Here we name some of the organisations.

The Hudson Institute, USA

The Hudson Institute in the US, widely known as a free market,
pro-globalisation think-tank, was probably the original source of the E.coli
myth. The funders of the Hudson Institute include some of the world's
largest biotechnology and agrochemical companies: Biotechnology companies:
Agrevo Canada, Monsanto, Novartis Crop Protection, Zeneca. Agrochemical
companies: Global Crop Protection Federation, Pfizer, Union Carbide.
'Organic foods offer more danger for both your family and the environment.'
D. Avery, The Sunday GazetteMail, 9 July 2000.

There are many articles on the Hudson Institute website that are critical of
organic food, such as 'The hidden dangers of organic food'. In their annual
report, they announce that they have 'countered many false food scares on
pesticide residues, nitrates [and] endocrine disrupters'.

In particular, the Hudson Institute has asserted that 'people who eat
organic and "natural" foods are eight times as likely as the rest of the
population to be attacked by a deadly strain of E.coli bacteria (0157:H7)'.
However, the research to support this view does not exist. The Center for
Disease Control, which the Hudson Institute claimed had done the research,
had to issue a statement to set the record straight. 'The Center for Disease
Control and Prevention has not conducted any study that compares or
quantifies the specific risk for infection with Escherichia coli 0157:H7 and
eating either conventionally grown or organic/natural foods' Dr M. Cohen,
Center for Disease Control, 1999.

Institute for Economic Affairs, UK

The Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) in the UK has perpetuated myths
spread by the Hudson Institute. This free market think-tank was founded in
the 1950s by Antony Fisher who 'became a highly successful businessman by
founding Britain's first broiler-chicken farm which mass-produced Buxted
Chickens'. 80 per cent of the Institute's funding currently comes from
membership fees, the rest mainly from publication sales and conferences.
'According to a study based on the US Centers for Disease Control data,
individuals consuming products made with these [organic] techniques are
eight times more likely to contract the potentially fatal strain of bacteria
E. Coli O157:H7, which killed hundreds in the United States in 1998 and left
thousands with permanent organ damage. It was also responsible for the
widely reported 21 deaths in Lanarkshire in1997.' Institute for Institute
for Economic Affairs, 1999.

'Organic food may well present a danger to children, the elderly and the
sick; i.e. people with underdeveloped or weakened immune systems. Such
people should be discouraged from eating so-called "organic" or "natural"
foods.' Institute for Economic Affairs, 1999.
The IEA has links to the Hudson Institute in the US. In 1999 it published a
book entitled Fearing Food: Risk, Health and the Environment with a
contribution from Dennis Avery of the Hudson Institute on 'The fallacy of
the organic utopia'. The press release to accompany the launch of the book
was entitled 'Londoners demand regulation of potentially deadly organic
food' and was based on a survey of just 121 people in London.
The Institute contributed to the 'Counterblast' broadcast on BBC 2 on 31
January 2000, which argued that organic foods were more dangerous than
non-organic foods.

Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI),UK

This institute is largely funded by public bodies, including the
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The chair of
the BBSRC is Dr Peter Doyle, who used to work for Zeneca. The director of
SCRI is also on the board of directors of the BioIndustry Association, whose
mission is 'encouraging & promoting the biotechnology sector of the UK
economy'.

'Organic farming. raises risk of faecal contamination not only of foodstuffs
but also of waterways, food poisoning, high levels of natural toxins and
allergens. production of blemished, diseased and irregular produce of low
consumer and food processor acceptability and creation of reservoirs of
pests and diseases.' Professor Hillman, SCRI, 1999.
National Office of Animal Health (NOAH)

NOAH represents the UK's animal pharmaceutical industry. Its aim is 'to
provide safe, effective, quality medicines for the treatment and welfare of
animals'. Members of NOAH include Monsanto Europe and Novartis Animal
Health Ltd.

NOAH lodged a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority against a
Soil Association leaflet 'Five Reasons to go Organic'.