Sweden’s lead organic organisation KRAV is considering withdrawing from EU organic regulations as part of a major strategic review.
If it goes a ahead with the proposal – favoured by some in the Swedish organic community – it would mean that KRAV labelled products could no longer be promoted as organic. Under EU rules the term ‘organic’ can only be applied to products that comply in full with the EU Organic Regulation.
Speaking to the Swedish agricultural magazine ATL during Almedalen Week KRAV CEO, Anita Falkenek, said that operating under EU regulations is limiting the commercial scope of Sweden’s organic operators. But she said that a decision on this potentially far-reaching proposal would only come after extensive discussions with organic stakeholders. “We’ll see where the discussion lands. Maybe it means that we don’t change that much, or maybe it could lead to us making a big change,” Falkenek added.
Some in the Swedish organic community warn that walking away from the EU Organic Regulation – effectively having to come up with a new name for organic – could lead to consumer confusion and weaken the KRAV brand.
Falkenek agrees that there could be challenges, but she told ATL: “ … you could create (a phrase) … like ‘Swedish and sustainable’. Swedish, pure food, I think, is something that is demanded in the world.”