Newly elected chairman of Organic Farmers & Growers (OF&G) Richard Thompson called for fair trade conditions for UK producers against imported produce at the agm. The Yorkshire organic farmer succeeds outgoing chairman of the last 14 years Charles Peers.

Thompson's family has farmed organically for more than 50 years at their 100 hectare mixed enterprise at Raywell near Hull. The farm produces potatoes amongst its portfolio.

As a director of OF&G since 1991, Richard Thompson is well versed in the issues that affect organic food production. Of the certification bodies, OF&G claims the strongest connection with full-time working farmers who are in organic production as a business.

'The aim is for OF&G to be a practical organisation that helps farmers and growers,' he said. 'As a developing market, one of the most important issues for business viability in organic food production is to keep supply and demand in balance. Sadly, this is not the case in a number of product areas at the moment.

'Product imports have an important bearing here. Of course, home production has to be competitive. But surely fair trade requires this to be coupled with common standards of organic production between competing sources. Here in the UK, we have to be sensible about not gold plating the organic standards, otherwise we create tougher conditions for ourselves than our competitors have to meet.' Thompson welcomes supermarket pledges to source as much organic produce as possible from home-grown sources. He says OF&G is playing a full part in Defra's organic policy development and invites organic producers to write to him about any relevant issues that are troubling them at the moment.

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