Farms urged to go organic as sales grow

Soil Association Scotland director Laura Stewart says there are great opportunities for farmers

SCOTTISH farmers will be urged to go back to basics following the release this week of figures showing the first annual increase in UK organic food sales for five years.

Data from Nielsen to be released at the Soil Association’s annual trade briefing on Thursday in London will reveal year-on-year growth of 0.6 per cent. The increase follows four years in which total annual spending on organic food fell 22 per cent from its 2008 peak.

UK sales stand at £1.6 billion against the pre-recession high of £1.84bn, making this the only European market where sales have slumped along with the economic downturn. Elsewhere, growth during the same period has been around 25 per cent.