Organic September campaigning is spreading across Europe. In Norway, Oikos – Organic Norway is running a campaign focused on encouraging consumers to ask for organic products when they’re food shopping.
The campaign is launched as #spørogspisøkologi, which roughly translates as #AskEatOrganic.
In its 2019 autumn campaign, Organic Norway is encouraging members and supporters to ask for organic products when they’re out food shopping.
Organic Norway believes there are large numbers of consumers who would like to see a larger selection of organic groceries in the stores, but who don’t necessarily let stores know. The campaign aims to help these consumers engage with shop staff, hopefully resulting in retailers widening their organic offer.
The campaign idea has its origins in the Norwegian Parliament, and a move from having a quantified target for organic production and consumption, to allowing demand in the market drive development of the Norwegian organic market. Organic Norway draws the conclusion that it is important to make people aware that there is no longer any push from the government, and that it therefore is up to consumers to create the pull in the market. They make clear that it is time to move from talk to action: In short, consumers need to put their money where their values are, buy more organic products, and ask for what ever they are missing on the shelves.
“Food choices are politics, and you as a consumer have the right to vote”
“The choices we make in the grocery store affect food production, the farmer’s everyday life, climate, environment and animal welfare. Food choices are politics, and you as a consumer have the right to vote,” says campaign manager Ida Barratt-Due Solum, who encourages anyone who’s interested in a wider range of organic products in their store to take a simple measure – ask for organic goods!
Much like the Swedish Organic September campaign and earlier campaigns run by the UK-based Soil Association, Organic Norway offers five facts to support the shopper:
- Organic farming means good animal welfare
- Organic farming takes care of biodiversity
- Organic farming is an insect-friendly form of agriculture
- Organic farming takes care of life in the soil and builds a rich, fertile soil
- Organic farming uses no chemical synthetic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers
• Story by Johan Cejie
The Nordic Organic Food Fair will take place MalmöMässan, Malmö, Sweden on 13-14 November 2019.