Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle has launched an Organic Action Plan for England intended to expand domestic production and strengthen the market for organic food.
Organic food sales are worth more than £3.9 billion a year. The plan sets an ambition to increase the share of England's agricultural land farmed organically from around 3.4 per cent towards 10 per cent by 2036.
Measures include advice for farmers considering conversion, support for existing producers and processors, and work to improve supply chains so more English organic products reach shops and restaurants.
The Government will also seek to build demand through consumer awareness and public-sector procurement. It says the approach should help bring domestic supply closer to demand that is currently met partly through imports.
The plan links organic farming to soil health, biodiversity, water quality and animal welfare while stating that farmers will continue to choose the production systems that suit their businesses.
No new funding allocation was announced with the plan. Its immediate significance is the long-term land-use goal and a more coordinated market strategy rather than a new payment scheme.
