Organic tomatoes ‘should not be produced in winter’
A petition to stop the industrial production of organic tomatoes in warmed greenhouses in winter has been launched.
Greenpeace, the Fondation Nicolas Hulot pour la Nature et l’Homme, Réseau Action Climat and Fédération Nationale d’Agriculture Biologique (FNAB) are the first associations to act against the ‘industrialisation’ of organic food; more particularly against the production of organic tomatoes in warmed greenhouses during winter.
The petition comes after the development of two big projects of greenhouses in Brittany and Pays de la Loire.
The season to eat tomatoes varies annually, and by region, but the fruit may be considered ‘in season’ from May, at the earliest, all the way through to November, at the latest.
The associations, the chefs and farmers who support the petition hope that the government will ban the production of organic fruits and vegetables in greenhouses when they are not in season. It is “an aberration”, they claim.
FNAB secretary Jean-Paul Gabillard said: “There is a certain incoherence between the European rules and national guidelines.
“In Germany and Benelux, heating in greenhouses is allowed but France must set an example by refusing this and then put pressure on the EU for the rule to be followed everywhere”.
Rules for the production of organic food in France state that farmers must respect natural cycles and use fuel “responsibly”.
However, a tomato grown in a warmed greenhouse in France produces four times more greenhouse gas than a tomato imported from Spain, and eight times more than a tomato produced during the right season in France, a study by the state body Ademe has shown.
The organisation Interfel, which represents businesses involved in fruit and vegetable production, has also stated that 78% of organic tomatoes currently sold in supermarkets come from other countries, notably from the south, and most are not produced in warmed houses.
Mr Gabillard said: “For the moment, there are less than 40 hectares of warmed greenhouses in France, but if we do not react quickly, this number will increase. During the winter, these houses use a lot of heat and light, and they do not save energy at all”, he added.
The FNAB had requested a ban on heating in greenhouses last year, and they now have the support of more than 65,000 people, who have signed the petition.
The Minister of Agriculture, Didier Guillaume is set to take a decision on warmed houses and organic food on July 11, during the Comité National de l’Agriculture Biologique, which defines the national rules for organic.
Meanwhile, the organic food market keeps on growing. According to Agence Bio, there were 41,623 organic farms in June 2019 – 5,000 more than last year.
People also tend to buy more organic food – it represents 5% of the food bought in supermarkets today and is a business of almost €10 billion.
Mr Gabillard said: “People believe in the good of organic and we are liable for that.”
Recently, the magazine 60 Millions de Consommateurs condemned the “promises of organic”, after trying 130 products, pointing out the marketing effect of ‘bio’ while some foods contain as much pollutants than the non-organic ones.
Almost 10% of French farms now have the logo AB (Agriculture Biologique), for bio organic food. It takes three years to obtain the certificate and financial aids are given to farmers during five years to convert from conventional to organic production.
