produce Bio : A Business Like The Others ?

In Europe, organic products generate 21 billions of euros in turnover. A success that was accompanied by a strong industrialization of production methods. As for the ideals of fair trade, They are beaten in breach by those who pay the workforce at low prices.

Investigation of a business that is not free from scandalous practices.

• In Romania, de gros investisseurs rachètent les terres de petits paysans pour pratiquer sur des milliers d’hectares des cultures et de l’élevage “bio”, especially sheep fed in winter with transgenic corn.
• In Thailand, des crevettes “bio” élevées dans des fermes géantes consomment de la nourriture industrielle et sont en contact avec des produits chimiques.
• In China, des élevages de dindes et de poulets ne doivent leur étiquette “bio” qu’à un trafic illégal de documents.
• In Spain, des tomates “bio” poussent à côté de champs en culture intensive généreusement arrosés de produits phytosanitaires…

Christian Jentzsch's survey shows that the explosion of organic products has led to a systematic industrialization of production methods. In number of cases, This takes place to the detriment of the environment, small farmers and product quality. Car, more and more, These are large international groups or discount distribution that control organic. Here as elsewhere, market law has imposed itself. A situation made possible by the multiplicity of certification bodies (more than 100 organic labels and brands in Germany alone), by the negligence of sometimes lax NGOs and by ultimately unrestrictive European regulations. As for the ideals of fair trade carried by the first followers of organic, ils sont battus en brèche par ceux qui rémunèrent la main-d’œuvre — paysans locaux, voire immigrés sans-papiers — à vil prix.