40% of New Zealand Farmers
Intend to Be Organic by 2010

<organicts.com>

Green Party Member of Parliament and organic farmer Ian Ewen-Street says a
report on organic farming trends shows farmers are realising its huge
potential. Environmental Beliefs and Farm Practices of New Zealand Organic,
Conventional and GE Intending Farmers was published by the Agribusiness and
Economics Research Unit of Lincoln University.

The report shows that currently 10 per cent of farmers describe themselves
as organic, 73 per cent as conventional and 17 per cent as intending to
pursue genetic engineering. In five to 10 years time the figures show that
the number of farmers wishing to farm organically will jump 27 per cent to
37 per cent, the number who intend to continue conventional farming will
drop to 46 per cent and the number wishing to use genetic engineering will
stay static at 17 per cent.

Mr Ewen-Street said the report vindicated his belief that more and more
farmers were realising the huge opportunity of organics and were looking to
switch and said the report was significant as it painted a clear picture of
how farmers were viewing their future. The report added to earlier AFFCO
research which showed that 70 per cent of farmers believe the future of
farming lies with organics.

Farmers Federated Farmers president Alistair Polson said that the report
delivers no surprises. He said the report showed farmers were consumer
orientated, and recognised the benefits of low intensity production systems.
"As such they need to be free to make the appropriate choices to respond to
consumer demands," he said. "By European standards many of our pastoral
farms would be considered organic. Our farming systems are less intensive
and more natural than methods used in most livestock producing countries."
The Royal Commission on Genetic Modification encouraged the coexistence of
all forms of agriculture. "The challenge for New Zealand is to find smart
ways of making sure organic agriculture and GM can co-exist."