A study released by the British Food Standards Agency (FSA) stating that organic food is not nutritionally better for you than non-organic food is missing the larger picture with regard to organic food. This study completed by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine examined studies carried out over the last 50 years on the nutritional differences, if these studies met particular criteria that they outlined.

The researchers do agree that the differences between organic and non-organic food are not “important”, due to the relatively few studies, they report in their analysis that there are higher levels of beneficial nutrients in organic compared to non-organic foods. IOA would also like to point out that the study coming from Newcastle University in the UK last year the Quality Low Input Farming (QLIF) was not included in this review as it did not meet the criteria outlined by the researchers. The QLIF research was carried out by 31 research institutes and universities throughout Europe and the results showed that there were more anti-oxidants and vitamins in organic vegetables than non organic vegetables and more omega 3 in organic dairy products than non organic dairy products.

Kate Carmody Chairperson of IOA says that “nutrition is only one reason why people eat organic food, other major reasons include the fact that organic food does not contain pesticide residues and that organic food comes from a more sustainable method of farming which does not have a negative impact on the environment and is less energy intensive. Therefore this study is limited in its scope and we would argue that organic food has many benefits including nutritional benefits”.

The Irish Organic Association (IOFGA) is the largest organic certification organisation in Ireland representing approx 1,150 farmers, growers and processors. It is responsible for certifying the organic provenance of its members produce and the IOA symbol indicates that a product has met the highest standard or organic integrity. IOA also works to inform the public about the benefits of organic food and to support the development of organic food production in Ireland.

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For further information please contact:

Grace Maher,
Development Officer IOFGA
Tel 087 6125989

In the UK when people had just decided that buying local food was the greenest option, recent research funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) shows this may not be the case. As a result the food miles debate continues to further confuse people. To date the “food miles” debate decreed that anything transported over distance is worse for the environment than something closer to home.

However the reality is more complex: while some foods may well be better on grounds of transport alone, they may be less kind to the environment when it comes to the amount of energy used in producing them. This is especially true of foods which are produced using artificial chemicals and fertilisers as it takes a lot of energy to produce and transport the chemicals and fertilisers and then the emissions released when they are used are harmful to the environment. So to really quantify the energy embodied in food production it is necessary to calculate everything from “field to fork” not just from “farm gate to plate”.

Facts to consider when choosing your food include issues such as transport, organically or conventionally produced, heated or unheated polytunnels, type of food the animals have been fed, where the animal feed comes from and how much of that is imported.

Kate Carmody Chairperson of IOA recognises that “all of these issues are important when assessing how green our food is. However it is also confusing for the consumer as many of these issues are not stated on the label eg how the product was transported to Ireland. In the current climate we would urge people that it is important to buy Irish products to ensure that money stays within the Irish economy. If you want to ensure that your purchases are truly green buy organic food produced in Ireland. This not only ensures that you are making the right choice environmentally but also economically”.

The Irish Organic Association (IOFGA) is the largest organic certification organisation in Ireland representing approx 1,150 farmers, growers and processors. It is responsible for certifying the organic provenance of its members produce and the IOA symbol indicates that a product has met the highest standard or organic integrity. IOA also works to inform the public about the benefits of organic food and to support the development of organic food production in Ireland.

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For further information please contact:

Grace Maher,
Development Officer IOFGA
Tel 087 6125989

The Irish Organic Association (IOFGA) feels that the decision to close the REPS scheme and use modulated funds to support new agri environment measures shows a lack of understanding of the current agricultural climate .
Kate Carmody Chairperson of IOA says that REPS 4 had been working very well with regard to the organic sector and hopes that the decision to close the scheme will not impact negatively on the organic sector. “ Many farmers had been finishing up their current REPS plans and were waiting to join REPS 4 and convert to organic farming. We are hopeful that the stability within the organic sector given the current economic difficulties will still encourage people to convert to organic production and help the market realise its potential here in Ireland. This is particularly important if the government wants to achieve the 5% land target certified organic as set out in the programme for government”.

The Irish Organic Association (IOFGA) is the largest organic certification organisation in Ireland representing approx 1,150 farmers, growers and processors. It is responsible for certifying the organic provenance of its members produce and the IOA symbol indicates that a product has met the highest standard or organic integrity. IOA also works to inform the public about the benefits of organic food and to support the development of organic food production in Ireland.

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For further information please contact:

Grace Maher
Development Officer IOFGA
Tel 087 6125989

Iofga Disappointed With The Closure Of Reps 4 And The Suspension Of The Grant Aid Scheme For The Development Of The Organic Sector

The Irish Organic Association (IOFGA) feels that the decision to close the REPS scheme and use modulated funds to support new agri environment measures shows a lack of understanding of the current agricultural climate . This announcement coupled with the decision announced on the 9th of July to suspend the Grant Aid scheme for the development of the organic sector may reduce the number of farmers who will convert to organic farming.
Kate Carmody Chairperson of IOA says that REPS 4 had been working very well with regard to the organic sector particularly in combination with the Grant Aid scheme and she hopes that the decision to close the scheme will not impact negatively on the organic sector. “Many farmers had been finishing up their current REPS plans and were waiting to join REPS 4 and convert to organic farming. We currently have many members who are finalising their applications for grant aid and IOA are very disappointed with the short notice given to announce that the scheme was closing. However we would like to point out that the Organic Farming Scheme is still open to people and overall we are hopeful that the stability within the organic sector given the current economic difficulties will still encourage people to convert to organic production and help the market realise its potential here in Ireland. This is particularly important if the government wants to achieve the 5% land target certified organic as set out in the programme for government”.

The Irish Organic Association (IOFGA) is the largest organic certification organisation in Ireland representing approx 1,150 farmers, growers and processors. It is responsible for certifying the organic provenance of its members produce and the IOA symbol indicates that a product has met the highest standard or organic integrity. IOA also works to inform the public about the benefits of organic food and to support the development of organic food production in Ireland.

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For further information please contact:

Grace Maher
Development Officer IOFGA
Tel 087 6125989

IOA are pleased to announce the introduction of a new EU-wide, harmonised standard for organic health and beauty products.

This is the first common standard in the world that will ensure clarity
and transparency for both consumers and the trade at a time when the
organic health and beauty market is experiencing extremely significant
growth - in 2008 UK sales of organic health and beauty products increased
an impressive 69% to £27 million [1]. Many Irish consumers buy organic health and beauty products on a regular basis and it would be great to see more Irish products available on the market.

In the EU, all food and drink must be certified as organic before it
can be sold as organic. This regulation does not extend to organic beauty
products. As there is no legal definition as to what constitutes an
‘organic’ beauty product - products labelled as such may vary enormously
in the organic content and the other ingredients they contain. A company
can label or describe a product as organic even if they only contain tiny
amounts of organic ingredients.

The new COSMOS-standard [2] is a result of six years work at EU level. It also covers the regulation of natural cosmetics. The objective of this new standard
is ambitious and ensures that consumers “get what it says on the label”. In the long term it ensures that there is more traceability within the industry itself. The end result will be a greater variety of products which contain high levels of organic ingredients, and contain no traces of banned products such as parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances and GM ingredients.

IOA will be in a position to offer these new standards starting in October 2009 when they will be available throughout the EU.
The Irish Organic Association (IOFGA) is the largest organic certification organisation in Ireland representing approx 1,150 farmers, growers and processors. It is responsible for certifying the organic provenance of its members produce and the IOA symbol indicates that a product has met the highest standard or organic integrity. IOA also works to inform the public about the benefits or organic food and to support the development of organic food production in Ireland.

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For further information please contact:

Grace Maher
Development Officer IOFGA
Tel 087 6125989