Cunningham to address organics conference

22 September 1997

Cunningham to address organics conference

JACK CUNNINGHAM, UK agriculture minister, will address a conference on organic food at Oxford which begins on Wednesday. It is organised by the Soil Association with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.

He will talk about the future for organic farming in the UK. He is the first UK minister to appear at such a conference. Ministers from Argentina and Austria will join him. They will outline policies for developing sustainable agriculture.

There will also be speeches on the market potential for organic foods, international standards, and the threats or opportunities posed by genetically modified foods.

Another conference, in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday, will look at the potential of genetic engineering for farmers and food processers. It is organised by the International Quality and Productivity Centre.

It will also look at consumer concerns and calls for segregation of genetically modified crops. There will be a speaker from the German Farmers Union.

• Financial Times 22/09/97 page 28