Forum on Organic Aquaculture
We thought that this hotly-debated topic would benefit from a place on the web - a place to hear all sides of this important and quickly-expanding aspect of food provision.
NO COMMERCIAL POSTS
UK media debate: ‘Is it really worth paying 39% extra for organic salmon? Fish still kept in cages’
The Scotsman newspaper this morning (October 25th) asks the question “Is it really worth paying extra for organic food?” In its introductory paragraph, the report goes: “[…] as its popularity has burgeoned to a phenomenal extent, which foods and products are truly organic and worth paying higher prices for has become less clear.”
The Scotsman has a look at food products ranging from vegetables and fruits to meats, and says on the topic of salmon that 'purists' consider wild salmon as the only 'truly organic' salmon:
“Soil Association-certified organic salmon is produced in the UK and does not allow the routine use of chemical treatments. The feed of organic salmon is closer to the natural diet of wild salmon. But the fish are still kept in cages and their waste is not recycled. Even organic salmon farming reduces the biodiversity in the farmed area and the water around it by shutting out other water life.
SHOPPING TIP: Purists believe the nearest thing to truly organic salmon is wild-caught. In North America, no salmon has organic classification.”
It also adds that in the UK, organic salmon typically retails for £13.99 per kg as opposed to £9.99 per kg for "other" farmed salmon; that's a 39% premium.
Click Here to read the full Scotsman article: “Is it really worth paying extra for organic food?” (25.10.2006): http://living.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1578542006
Check out thousands of aquaculture & seafood-related international stories, INDEXED: www.seafoodintelligence.com
bravenet.com