Organic Industry Must Get Off Fence And Oppose Badger Cull Says Wildlife Charity Care For The Wild

Pledging to stay clear of cull farms would benefit sector morally & financially: Care for the Wild Organic food companies need to make a stand and refuse to use products from badger-cull farms, say a wildlife charity. The move could help boost the sector financially, while also acknowledging the animal welfare concerns of customers. In this week’s edition of The Grocer, Care for the Wild has called on the Soil Association to refuse to certify organic products from badger cull farms, and give strong support to steps being taken to expand the vaccination of badgers as an alternative policy. Care for the Wild CEO Philip Mansbridge said there were two key reasons why the step would be a positive one for the organic industry: “Organic sales have been dropping over the last couple of years, while brands such as RSPCA Freedom Foods and Fair Trade have increased. So despite the recession, people are still making choices over what they eat. Care for the Wild did a survey last year which showed that one in three organic buyers could potentially boycott organic dairy products if they came from cull farms. “The cull could cost the organic sector £175 million if they aren’t clearly anti-cull. On the other hand, making a stand could increase their customers, as people try to find genuine ‘cull-free’ products. “The organic sector should also be thinking about the animal welfare side of things. A third of people who buy organic do so because they expect higher animal welfare – so they won’t take kindly to badgers being shot on organic farms. A clear statement from the organic industry which shows that they are not anti-farm, but they are anti-cull, would be a win-win.” Last month, organic producer Yeo Valley stated that they would not cull badgers on their farms. Care for the Wild is a charity based in Sussex dedicated to the protection of wildlife in the UK and abroad. For more information see www.careforthewild.com.

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