The EU rules for organic farming are being reviewed and discussions are apparently in the final phase. Several proposals have upset the French (and also other countries’) organic growers. One of the new proposals is that annual controls should be reduced to every two years and perhaps even less frequent. Organic growers worry about the risk of losing consumer confidence. They want to be controlled frequently.
Another proposal that is not popular is to set limits for maximum amount of pesticide residues that may be found in organic products before they lose their organic label. The organic growers say that there is a risk of contamination (from nearby conventional farms whose spraying may be windblown to the organic field) because such a large proportion of agriculture is conventional.
Nor do they like that different EU countries apparently will be able to set different limits. A proposal to reduce the limit for copper spraying from 6 kilograms of copper per year and per hectare to 3 or 4 kilograms also upsets. The general perception is that 6 kilos are needed. To be continued.
Read more: vitisphere.com
