The Organic Trade Board (OTB) says it is opening up attendance to non-members for its upcoming webinar and panel on Environmental Labelling due the “vitally important” nature of the subject, which it says “needs to be tackled by a united organic industry”.
The organic sector believes that any future labelling requirements should be transparent, withbiodiversity, climate, pesticide usage and animal welfare being clearly identified and communicated. This type of labelling, it says, would represent a huge opportunity for organic food and farming.
Roger Kerr, OTB finance director and OF&G CEO says: “There are real concerns about some currently proposed labelling based on life-cycle analysis, as they do not appear to properly account for externalities. For example, some methodologies make it difficult to differentiate between different methods of production in terms of their overall environmental impact, potentially leading to a situation where organic and local products score the same as imported and intensively grown ones. If we are not careful any additional labelling will not actually offer any further clarity for consumers, rather it will simply create even greater confusion and provide a further opportunity for greenwashing.”
Confirmed speakers and panellists joining us on the day are:
- Silvia Schmidt – Policy Manager, IFOAM OE
- Emma Piercy – Head of Climate Change & Energy Policy, FDF
- Roger Kerr – CEO, Organic Farmers & Growers
- Lee Holdstock – Senior Business & Trade Development Manager, Soil Association Certification
The OTB Environmental Labelling Webinar and Panel Discussion takes place on 13 October. Register to attend for free here.