UPDATE: EU funding will “boost” organic sector - Sustain

By Michelle Russell | 2 July 2010

The programmes will cover fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy and organic products

UK organic advocacy group Sustain said the European Commission’s approval of 19 publicity programmes for the promotion of healthy foods will be a major boost to the organic sector.

The European Commission yesterday (1 July) approved 19 one-to-three year publicity programmes in 14 member states that will promote sales in the EU.

The total budget of the programmes is EUR60.6m (US$75.8m), with the EU funding 50% and the rest of the costs being met by national governments and participating food industry associations.

The selected programmes cover fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy products, honey, flowers, fibre flax and organic products.

Sustain told just-food that it was “absolutely delighted” with the EUR1m it received.

“We received news that the EU has approved our promotion campaign for funding and we’re absolutely delighted with the outcome, it’s a great boost to the organic sector,” Catherine Fookes of Sustain said.

“It amounts to almost EUR2m…we’ve been given EUR1m from the EU and the rest we’ve raised ourselves. We have around EUR600,000-700,000 to use each year over three years,” she added.

Fookes said the lion’s share of the funding will be used for press advertising in women’s magazines, and the rest on digital and PR campaigns.

The OrganicUK campaign, which is being co-ordinated by Sustain, last year called on the EU to match its funding and pledge GBP1 for every GBP1 raised in the UK.

Sectors: Natural & organic, NPD & innovation

Companies: The European Commission