OAPE. It isn’t some cohort (that seems to be the new buzzword) of grumpy English pensioners taking to the streets and raising the barricades over the triple lock. No – the powers that be have come up with the Organic Action Plan for England. In a nutshell, over the last fifteen years, the market for organics in England has virtually doubled while the percentage of land being farmed organically has stayed much the same. The obvious result is more imports, worsening food security and a widening trade deficit. Given the relatively small numbers (compared with the nation’s total grocery shop), I hope the OAPE will be a first small step towards a more comprehensive plan for the whole food and farming sector – with a bit of public health thrown in for good measure.
I’m always a little cynical about a ‘stick and carrot’ approach to cajoling the private sector into doing things they might not necessarily want to do. But in the case of organics, I think there are enough people and businesses who want to make it work and know that, on all sorts of levels, it’s the right thing, so I’m quite hopeful that it might get some results. But the carrots need to be there – unlike the second application window for the 2026 SFI (Sustainable Farming Incentive), which closed in under six hours. If HMG really see organics as being worth supporting (which they should for all manner of reasons), they should put their money where their mouth is. Organics isn’t just for Christmas – farmers need to be assured of ongoing viable prices and income. I’m sure most would be happier with good prices than occasional grants. And while we’re on the subject, it’s impossible to look at food and farming, of any sort, without factoring in the disproportionate influence of the supermarkets. So I look forward to seeing a bit of flesh on what is, at present, a fairly threadbare document (read it here) – or Google AI it for a more concise version.