El País: How Germany Is Leading Europe’s Organic Food Revolution

Some consumers take food for granted while others demand the utmost in safety and taste. Consumers in the latter group, joined by those who want to protect the environment, seek out organic products produced without chemical fertilizers, additives, antibiotics, pesticides and other unnatural treatments. The United States is the world’s leading organic market followed by Germany. Europe has had regulations in this area since 1991, and expects more soon. “The EU has been working since 2014 on new regulations for a sector that grew by more than 7% in 2015, and is worth €75 billion globally,” reports Laura Delle Femmine for El País. A tentative agreement has been reached pending a final vote. “Lack of consensus regarding some issues, in particular pesticide levels, unleashed war in Brussels and, as a result, the regulations were among the most disputed in the history of the EU’s agricultural policy.” Contention emerged over issues like just how many trace chemicals might be allowed. Regulations extend to labels and treatment of animals. Ecological products account for just over 6 percent of European farmlands, and the extra attention to organic processes carries a price, up to 50 percent higher than non-organic products. Consumer demands in northern Europe are forcing producers in southern Europe to adjust. – YaleGlobal