According to TNS Worldpanel data seen by the Financial Times that sales of organic produce in Sainsbury’s and Tesco fell by 3.8 percent and 1.3 percent respectively in the three months to August 10. The Sales of organic goods in supermarkets are struggling and suggesting that shoppers are ready to sacrifice their green credentials in favor of cheaper food.
According to the most recent data, spending on organic produce in the whole market has fallen by 19 percent this year from £100m to £81m. Asda and Morrisons fared better with 3.1 percent and 24.6 percent growth, although their cheaper end of the grocery market in coming from a lower base. Figures demonstrate the way in which consumers are swapping their allegiances as they seek cheaper prices.
Marketing manager for organics at Sainsbury, Sophie Firth, said conceded sales were “flat and have started to dip off” and this was a symptom of the time. She also said “people are still buying core items but I guess few people are buying into organics as a whole.”
Organic agriculture is inherently more expensive than intensive agriculture and there is evidence consumers are not willing to pay the extra cost. Among the hardest hit have been sales of organic eggs which fell 18 per cent in the four weeks to the end of August.

This is that time of the year that smorgasbords of the finest organic produce, along with entertainment throughout the day and night and with a free bar. The free bar is available courtesy of Maggie May’s Bar Loughrea. Menus features delicious organic chowder from Marco’s Catering with organic vegetable soup, steaks, chicken fillets, and burgers, Kinvara organic salmon with organic brown breads, baked potatoes, vegetable curries, salads, and a delicious breads and desserts from Foods of Athenry.
Organic coffees, cappuccinos, lattes and hot chocolate will be available to you to drink. This event will feature a range of entertainers including Mike Flavin, Abba International, Sean De Burca and Stephen Simmonds, Gary Quinn, Celine Hession Dancers, Oddity, and the comedian Frank Forde of MidWest Radio. The Monster Organic Ball proceeds from this year will go to AIDS Partnership with Africa, Irish charity works to alleviate the suffering communities in Ethiopia and Tanzania decimated by the HIV/AIDS.
Last year Monster Organic Ball raised €100,000 for the charity which was used to unite thousands of orphaned street children with family relatives or foster parents, purchase medicines and other materials. Organizer of the event extended their thanks to the many dedicated and committed sponsors who make the event possible, including C&F group, main sponsors Cashla Quarries, Tossie Mogan, Ard Precision Engineering, Castle Ceilings and Partitioning, Global Group Ireland, Ger McDonagh and sons, Curly Holdings, MF Dolan and John Earls, Seamus and Huge Lambert, Bill Madden nurseries, Mike Burke of Pier Head, Newell Roofing, and Declan Corry. This event will be on October 11 from 2pm to 12 am in Tossie Mogan’s field in Oranmore, tickets are cost €200 and it includes food, free bar, and entertainment and to purchase tickets just visit www.monsterorganicball.com or www.monsteroganicball08.com .

With more people interested in buying organic food, a tucked away on the Canandaigua shoreline sits 50 acres of what Wegmans family calls their great experiment.  Wegmans developed a farm that is used as a testing ground to learn more about organic growing and pass on that knowledge to local growers.  Wegmans says his stores have seen an increased demand for organic produce in recent years, despite the fact that it’s usually more expensive.

Anne Grover, the organic farm’s garden manager said “I believe in bringing the heirloom vegetables back,” ”It is good DNA, they’ve survived the test of time, they are open pollinated which I think is very important.  I guess I’m old fashioned girl and an old fashioned gardener.”   Area farmers have noticed the trend as well.  A local farmer Jeff Partyka said, “I think there is an increased demand for growing organic and it is something we are hoping we can do.”  Partyka also owns a small fruit and vegetable farm in Hamlin.

Chickens raised on organic feed are also part of this farm.  Wegmans farm manager Steve Straub said “Once the farm gets going, I think this is a viable way of producing vegetables also.  We are just getting the fields and the soil established and that is the key.”  Those working the fields believe someday organic farming will surpass the traditional way of growing produce.  One area farmer is already considering making the switch from traditional to organic.

Organic Alliance announced that it has agreed to implement the GS1 System to track its produce in order to improve traceability and consumer safety.  The GS1 System can play a vital role in product recalls, it enables product traceability and GS1 standards make traceability system possible on a global scale across the supply chain.  The GS1 System enables global tracing and accountability of organic produce pinpointing the farm.  GS1 is a global organization with an integrated system of standards that provides accurate identification of products and location through the use of standards, barcodes and electronic product code/radio frequency identification tag.

Tom Morrison said the chief executive officer of Organic Alliance, Inc. that “Utilizing the GS1 System, we have the ability to not only track our produce back to the farm of origin, but all the way down to the actual row on which it was grown.  The rapid growth of the organic industry makes an effective tracking system on the produce a necessity and we are pleased to take this leadership role through our initial agreement with GS1.”

Organic Alliance will only source top quality; safe tested and certified organic produce, prior to customer shipments, utilizing USDA certification in conjunction with the in house OAI Quality Team.  The Organic Alliance plans is to be one of the world’s leading providers of USDA certified organic crops to many of the country’s leading consumer package goods manufacturers, grocery, retail restaurant and food processors.