UK organic certifier Organic Farmers & Growers has restated its view that a ban by the European Commission on the use of the herbicide glyphosate would not damage farming.
Instead, it says, if glyphosate were banned by the Commission over health fears, farmers “would simply have to think differently about the way they produce food”.
Speaking in the summer at OF&G’s annual Cereals Event, business development manager Steven Jacobs organic farmers and growers had already proved there were plenty of opportunities to work with fewer inputs whilst maintaining profitable and productive businesses.
What’s more, “fewer inputs do not mean European food production had to drop, he added,” he added, “provided the food chain is prepared to work together to find ways to limit waste and distribute produce more effectively.”
Speaking alongside a prestigious panel including Nick Mole of the Pesticide Action Network, NFU Vice President Guy Smith and Sean Sparling of the Association of Independent Crop Consultants, Mr Jacobs said that latest farm income figures had shown that rising input costs had hit farm profits.
Looking at ways to utilise more cultural controls and crop rotation now would mean farmers could reduce costs, as they moved to more agroecological methods of production, OF&G concluded.