Organic food fight: Grocers rush to stock the Seattle market Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle) Cate Hardy, CEO of PCC Natural Markets, in front of a giant photo of Washington more. King County has added nearly 50 food stores in 10 years and nine natural grocery stores have just opened or are set to open soon. That won't be enough to keep up ...

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Organic food fight: Grocers rush to stock the Seattle market - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle)

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Papa Johns, the nations third best-selling pizza chain, is introducing organic pizza toppings and gluten-free crusts in select test markets, it announced earlier this week.

The organic optionsRoma tomatoes, mushrooms, green peppers, and onionsare currently only available in the Lexington, Kentucky market, while the gluten-free crusts are being tested in Los Angeles, Phoenix, St. Louis, and Nashville. (And the chain notes the gluten-free crusts may not be suitable for customers with Celiac disease as cross-contamination with wheat can occur.)

According to the chain, the move toward organic is intended to align Papa Johns with changing consumer values.

We just think this is a trend that is going to be out there, and we want to be the first in our industry to have organic produce on our menu, chief ingredients officer Sean Muldoon toldFortune.

Papa Johns appears to be taking cues from other leaders in the fast-food sectorchains like Chipotle and Panera Bread have been tweaking menus, removing artificial ingredients, and in the case of Chipotle, spending years to reformulate genetically modified ingredients out of its menu items. But organic has yet to make a significantappearance on national fast-food menus with few exceptions like Chipotlesdabbling and Wendys organic tea options.

Demand for organic food, though, continues to rise in the U.S., despiterestaurant chains being slow to catch up. Earlier this week Organic Authority reported on a survey that found organic food in more than 80 percent of U.S. households, with placement by state increasing significantly between 2015 and 2016.

That was telling us this is where the consumer is going, Muldoon noted.

Muldoon saysthat while organic food is indistinguishable in taste from nonorganic, the perception of health, Fortune notes, matters significantly as it leads consumers to feel better about their purchasing habits.

Unlike the gluten-free crusts, which people will choose for health reasonseven if the taste is differentselling organic pizzas for a higher price will take some effort and scrutiny. And making the shift nationwide for a chain like Papa Johns, which has more than 3,400 North American locations, could be quite costly. The chain says it will be closely monitoring consumer feedback on social media and tracking sales to determine the programs success.

The moves come a little more than a year after Papa Johns announced it would remove artificial ingredients from its menu, includingartificial flavors and synthetic colors, in an effort toward offering better ingredients. In 2015 it announced plans to remove antibiotics from its chicken suppliers.

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Jill Ettinger is a Los Angeles-based journalist and editor focused on the global food system and how it intersects with our cultural traditions, diet preferences, health, and politics. She is the senior editor for sister websites OrganicAuthority.com and EcoSalon.com, and works as a research associate and editor with the Cornucopia Institute, the organic industry watchdog group. Jill has been featured in The Huffington Post, MTV, Reality Sandwich, and Eat Drink Better. http://www.jillettinger.com.

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Papa John's Tests Organic Pizza Toppings - Organic Authority

Canadas organic sector says its not getting its due.

Canada is the fifth-largest organic market in the world as well as leading exporter of several organic commodities but gets little assistance from government, says Tia Loftsgard, executive director of Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA).

Canadas organic sector should be positioning itself as a world leader, she told the Commons agriculture committee. However, the sector on its own cannot achieve this stature when it is continually having to fund its own standards, inspections, and certifications, and to assume all the business risks on its own.

She added that in their current state, proposed new food safety regulations carry many threats for the organic sector, and pointed out the lack of equitable crop insurance coverage and transition incentives for farmers, which are both offered in other jurisdictions. Just maintaining the status quo is costly too.

Maintaining the Canadian organic standards review process is going to cost our sector over $1 million by 2020, she said. This is a cost that the industry has to bear in Canada, yet it is funded entirely by governments in the United States and in the EU.

Organic is a unique subsector of Canadian agriculture and trade, as it is limited to traceable organic supply chains and is subject to regulations, standards, third-party inspections, and maximum residue level inspections beyond its conventional counterpart, she said.

Organic trade faces many business risks due to our limited supply options, the unknown risks of any changes to NAFTA and additional testing required on maximum residue levels on Canadian organic products entering foreign markets, particularly because there is no tolerance within the organic sector, she said.

These non-tariff trade barriers are holding back the growth of our sector and the ability to capitalize on the opportunities that exist, she said. At a minimum, the Canadian organic sector should be able to keep pace with its major trading partners and eliminate the non-tariff regulatory barriers that exist.

There is little about the organic sector in all the agricultural production and import and export trade flows government collects, she said.

The lack of sound data limits the ability to assess market opportunity or the loss of market opportunity for Canadian producers, manufacturers, and businesses, she said.

As harmonized sales codes are used to negotiate trade agreements, maintain trade statistics, and identify goods and shipments that pose a risk to the health, safety, and security of Canada, the organic sector is very limited in its ability to track trends, evaluate trade flows, and have concrete data, she said. The last time census data was collected on the organic sector was in 2011.

Canada has organic equivalency agreements with 90 per cent of its major trading partners and is in the process of negotiating them with Mexico and South Korea, she said.

Wallace Hamm, general manager of Pro-Cert Organic, told the MPs the sector badly needs an overhaul of the eight-year-old federal organic regulatory regime to remove non-tariff trade barriers. The regime is being transferred to the Safe Food by the end of April.

Among the changes is no longer requiring Canadian organic products to be certified to U.S. standards as they only cover health food products and pet food. Another will permit Canadian products to use the EU organic label.

The new regime needs fraudulent organic claims, he said. U.S. organic rules contain robust penalties and fines and a five-year revocation period.

The biggest concern is the demise of the Canada Organic Office at CFIA, he said. Although underfunded and staffed, it was a highly effective and internationally recognized administrative body that was equivalent to the USDA national organic program office, Hamm said. The unheralded and unrationalized demise of the Canada Organic Office and the dispersion of the COO staff throughout the CFIA, coupled with the erasing of all organic titles from correspondence and legal documents, will send and is sending negative shock waves throughout the domestic and international organic community. The net message is one of lost emphasis and interest in the organic sector by the government.

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Organic food industry feels shortchanged by government - Manitoba Co-operator

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A new Nielsen report released by the Organic Trade Association last month found that organic food items are regularly purchased bymore than 82 percent of American families.

The study, claiming to be the first comprehensive look at household purchases of organic food, looked at the purchasing habits of more than 100,000 households between 2015 and 2016. Not only did the researchers find a high prevalence of organic food, but data in 2016 rose 3.4 percent over the organic placement in 2015.

Several states showed organic food in 90 percent or more of households, with the lowest placement per state still surprising at 70 percent. The biggest growth in organic purchases happened in North Dakota, where nearly 86 percent of homes reported organic purchases in 2016, up more than 14 percent from 2015. Rhode Island was up to more than 88 percent, up 12.3 percent from 2015. Wyoming was at 90 percent; Wisconsin, while only showing organic in 77.6 percent of homes, was up more than nine percent from 2015.

These new findings show how important organic has become to millions and millions of American families everywhere, Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of OTA, said in a statement.

Organic food sales in the U.S. hit more than $40 billion last year and the upward trend isshowing no end in sightfor numerous reasons, according to the OTA.

Organic provides a healthy choice for consumers everywhere, and a profitable choice for farmers, said Batcha. The industry relies on a few critical public institutions to support this burgeoning industry, including the National Organic Program for global oversight and uniform standards and research investment targeted to organic production. Organic is fueled by consumers, and it thrives when USDA recognizes the importance of organic to rural economies and to rural households.

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Jill Ettinger is a Los Angeles-based journalist and editor focused on the global food system and how it intersects with our cultural traditions, diet preferences, health, and politics. She is the senior editor for sister websites OrganicAuthority.com and EcoSalon.com, and works as a research associate and editor with the Cornucopia Institute, the organic industry watchdog group. Jill has been featured in The Huffington Post, MTV, Reality Sandwich, and Eat Drink Better. http://www.jillettinger.com.

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82% of American Homes Stock Organic Food, Survey Finds - Organic Authority

APPOMATTOX Don and Nancy Wilk always had thought about opening their own business in order to spend more time together.

After one visit to Appomattox, they decided to buy an old building on Church Street and open an organic food market and education space by the end of this year named Local Apx Market.

It was not something we were working on [for a long time]; the idea was always there, its still developing. We heard the other day, you build it as you buy it, Don, 59, said.

They moved in 2015 to the town of Appomattox from Pennsylvania after just one visit in 2014. The couple used a portion of Dons pension to purchase the circa-1912 downtown building for $156,000 and now live in its second-floor apartment.

The Wilks were inspired to open the market because of their own experience with clean eating, a new diet trend that emphasizes consuming minimally processed foods that are as close as possible to their natural state.

The kitchen will be used to cook clean food recipes, and customers will be able to eat in an indoor dining space that looks out to Church Street, or on an outdoor deck behind the 4,800-square-foot building, which is located across the street from the old Appomattox train depot.

We dont do it perfectly by any means, but we started looking in this direction when our kids, grandkids and ourselves had health issues because of additives, preservatives and things like pesticides in the food, Nancy said.

She said after that, the family had to learn to eat differently, and as hard as it is to eat clean at home, it's harder when going out to eat or traveling.

As owners of the building and residents on the second floor, they can watch life go by on Church Street. The business location on the main thoroughfare in town could encourage people to just stop by, Don said.

A big part of why we are here is to build a Christian community, build things biblically and all that entails, Don said.

The building of the market will be slow to some because the Wilks believe the Bible says they are not to incur long-term debt.

Were going to build this slow, sure; we dont want to get down the road [and say] oh, we have to do something different because we have to pay the mortgage. Thats going to make sure we are sustainable, Nancy said.

To start momentum and raise money, they have held monthly farmers markets in the building since December. The producers-only market offers a new venue to vendors whose next-closest farmers markets are in Lynchburg or Farmville. So far, nine vendors and at least 200 customers per month are taking advantage of it, Nancy said.

In May, they hope to host the markets up to once per week in a parking lot behind the building.

They have been pleasantly surprised by the number of small producers who have expressed interest in attending the pop-up farmers markets. Several times per week, someone is calling, texting or emailing, asking to participate or if a product is offered, said Nancy, 57.

Everyone from raw milk providers to a yak farmer have offered to bring products to market, she said.

Its really exciting to see people stepping up, and it took someone to plant the flag and say, this is what we are doing, Nancy said.

The pop-up markets have coincided twice with a group of local artisans who hold a vintage market at the same time and day as the farmers market in Abbitt Park, a few blocks from Local Apx Market.

Appomattox resident Laura Dawson, who started Appomattox Vintage and Artisans Market in 2016, said her event was inspired by what she saw happening in the town with new events and businesses like Local Apx Market.

Just to have someplace for people to gather and have a family-friendly event. I think thats what we will see start to arise, those type of community-knit events, Dawson said.

The Wilks want to build a combined effort with other small businesses in Appomattox, like the vintage market, to offer events for downtown residents.

Once the downtown building upgrades are finished, including a kitchen and bathrooms, the food market will be open six days per week.

Upstairs, a room will be reserved offering classes on nutrition and gardening. Nancy said she hopes some of the farmers who bring products to the market will teach classes on sustainable agriculture.

All those things [are] to continue moving our family, friends and neighbors to a healthier food space. Its our responsibility to do that, Nancy said.

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A 'clean' start: Couple look to launch organic food market in Appomattox - Lynchburg News and Advance

Four toppings available

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 4, 2017) Papa Johns International is testing a pilot program in Lexington that makesorganic produce available for pizza toppings. Toppings include Roma tomatoes, green peppers, yellow onions and mushrooms.

Papa Johns plans topartner with Green BEAN Deliveryto source organic produce from Certified Organic family farms tolocations in Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Oregon, California and Indiana.

Our customers want to know where their food comes from and how it is produced, said Sean Muldoon, chief ingredient officer at Papa Johns. At Papa Johns, we are constantly looking at ways to meet the needs of our customers whether its through our clean label initiative or testing organic produce. Moving into a test of organic produce is a natural progression as Papa Johns takes pride in our position of having the cleanest label in the pizza industry.

In 2015 organic fruits and vegetables reached $14.4 billion in sales and almost 13 percent of the produce sold in the U.S. is now organic, according to the Organic Trade Association. Sales are expected to reach nearly 20 percent by 2020. Additionally, more than half of American households purchase organic produce.

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Papa John's testing organic produce toppings in Lexington - The Lane Report

Imagine going to the doctor's office. Noticeably absent are any modern tools -- laptops, DNA tests, X-ray scanners. He likes to do things the old-fashioned way. Medicine was better 100 years ago. How long would it take before you ran screaming out the door?

Yet, that's precisely the attitude the organic food and "back to nature" movements embrace.

In most things in life, we desire cutting-edge technology: Faster computers, self-driving cars, virtual reality, high-definition TV1. From telecommunications and transportation to healthcare and entertainment, we demand the very best that money can buy.

But not food. We don't want technology anywhere near that. Neanderthal know-how is perfectly fine, thanks. What is going on?

Organic Is the Sacrificial Food of a New Religion

Whether we like it or not, humans are spiritual creatures. We seek meaning in our lives and a greater power outside of us. As mainstream religions in Western societies fade away, people are replacing them with a new religion: One whose focus is on sustainability2, postmodernism(anti-intellectualism),and technophobia. Organic is the sacrificial food of this new religion.

In a recent article, Eric Asimov, a food and wine critic for the New York Times, extols the (imagined) virtues of organic wine. He even warns his readers that a commonly added preservative, sulfur dioxide, corrupts the wine because it isn't natural3. Of course, all wines contain sulfur dioxide because the compound is a byproduct of yeast fermentation.

Read how Mr. Asimov writes about his favorite subject:

These [processed] wines are not the simple, pastoral expressions of an agricultural culture. They are assembly-line wines, farmed industrially with chemical sprays, churned out in factories with technology and machinery and additives, and tailored, just as processed foods are, to specifications derived from substantial audience research and the use of focus groups.

"Processed" wines (whatever that means) use modern technology, including machines and chemicals? Focus groups? Oh, the humanity! In the NYT's magical world4, food must be prepared in a very precise manner, otherwise it is contaminated. Never mind that these food standards are arbitrary and not based on science; failing to follow them makes our food "unnatural." In other words, machines and chemicals (and the taste preferences of the unwashed masses) are the sins that corrupt our food and our bodies.

This isn't nutrition science; it's religion. That's why mocking organic foodies makes them so upset:It is blaspheming their Holy Communion.

Notes

(1) Even FIFA (international soccer's governing body) is finally embracing the21st Centuryby implementing goal-line technology.

(2) The concept of sustainability is perfectly fine. However, anti-scientific nonsense is often promoted in the name of sustainability. Contrary to conventional wisdom, organic farming is not more sustainable than conventional agriculture.

(3) Organic wines cannot contain added sulfur dioxide, showing just how arbitrary and ridiculous the definition of "organic" actually is.

(4) This is why our rating of the New York Times as borderline "junk science" was incorrect. In truth, it's only a few steps removed from the "Pure Garbage" category.

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Technophobia: A Key Tenet of the Organic Food Religion - American Council on Science and Health

As former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue begins his confirmation process to become the next secretary of agriculture, new Nielsen findings released by the Organic Trade Association recently show things have changed in the kitchens of American households across the country, from small towns to the big cities. Organic can now be found on the shelves of kitchen cupboards and in the refrigerators of 82.3 percent of American households, including in the majority of households in rural states like Perdues home state of Georgia.

In the first comprehensive look at organic purchases by households on a state-by-state level, the nationally representative Nielsen study of 100,000 households conducted in 2015 and 2016 reported that more households than ever bought organic food on a regular basis throughout 2016. The national average climbed 3.4 percent from 2015 to 82.3 percent, while in Georgia, the number of households buying organic rose by a solid 4 percent to 81.5 percent. The state showing the biggest jump in households purchasing organic was North Dakota, where 85.6 percent of households participating in the Nielsen study reported buying organic in 2016, up a robust 14.2 percent from 2015.

These new findings show how important organic has become to millions and millions of American families everywhereto more than 80 percent of our nations 117 million households*, more than 80 percent of Georgias 3.5 million* households, more than 85 percent of North Dakotas almost 300,000 households*, said Laura Batcha, CEO and executive director of OTA. The organic community is looking forward to working with the new leadership at USDA. We are eager to show how important adequate funding is to support a strong organic program and to help organic to continue to become a part of healthy diets of households throughout our nationincluding Mr. Perdues home state and rural states from coast to coast.

The Nielsen findings show a number of states in which 90 percent or more of households now buy organic on a regular basis, with even the lowest levels all hovering around 70 percent. The five states seeing the biggest increases in households reporting organic purchases were:

North Dakota, where 85.6 percent of households participating bought organic in 2016, up 14.2 percent from 2015;

Rhode Island, with 88.3 percent buying organic, up 12.3 percent from 2015;

Wyoming, where 90.0 percent of participating households bought organic in 2016, up 10.8 percent;

South Dakota, which had the lowest percentage of any state at 68.9 percent, but still recorded a 10.0 percent increase; and

Wisconsin, where 77.6 percent of participating households bought organic, up 9.1 percent from 2015.

Organic provides a healthy choice for consumers everywhere, and a profitable choice for farmers, said Batcha. The industry relies on a few critical public institutions to support this burgeoning industry, including the National Organic Program for global oversight and uniform standards and research investment targeted to organic production. Organic is fueled by consumers, and it thrives when USDA recognizes the importance of organic to rural economies and to rural households.

In Georgia, a partnership between the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the non-profit group Georgia Organics has shown how investment into helping farmers wanting to go organic can make a difference.

Georgia is becoming a bigger player in meeting the growing consumer demand for organics, thanks to innovative farmers, entrepreneurs, and excellent partners, said Georgia Organics Executive Director Alice Rolls. Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black has partnered with Georgia Organics on our 200 Organic Farms campaign to double the number of organic farms by 2020. His relationship with Sonny Perdue no doubt will be influential on a number of fronts, including organic agriculture.

Organic food sales in the United States now total around $40 billion annually, and account for around five percent of total food sales in this country. According to the Organic Trade Associations 2016 U.S. Organic Industry Survey, total organic food sales in 2015 were $39.7 billion, up 11 percent from the previous year. This spring OTA will be releasing its 2017 industry survey, which will look at the U.S. organic market in 2016.

The Nielsen data comes from 100,000 participating households in the 48 contiguous states that are geographically and demographically diverse to represent the national population. Participating households record with a home scanner all food purchases for in-home consumption from any retail outlet, including organic items. Participants scan the Universal Product Codes (the bar codes that cashiers scan at the supermarket) to track their purchases. Nielsen has been tracking food purchases with its home scanner household panel since 2002.

*According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics

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New state data shows organic now in the kitchens of over 80 percent of US households - High Plains Journal

The skinny budget proposed by the White House a few weeks ago will undergo significant changes as it wends its way through the maze of congressional committees, but its clear that the president and his economic advisers really do want to take a scalpel to programs that are marked by waste, fraud and abuse. OMB Director Mick Mulvaney said during a March 16 press briefing that the government shouldnt spend money on programs simply because they sound good.

Several programs at the Department of Agriculture would be eliminated in the presidents budget, and we suggest another one that involves the government in providing benefits to special interests: the National Organic Program, which is subsidized to the tune of $160 million a year and has more in common with Whole Foods marketing department than sound government. For example, it is charged with protecting the integrity of the USDA organic seal, from farm to market, around the world.

Related: More consumers shopping organic

The thing is, the integrity of the organic seal has nothing to do with benefit to consumers, farmers or the environment. So what does it mean? Well, when it was established in 1990, Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman emphasized the fundamental meaninglessness of the organic designation: Let me be clear about one thing, the organic label is a marketing tool. It is not a statement about food safety. Nor is organic a value judgment about nutrition or quality.

Its worth repeating: The organic label is no more than a marketing tool. And its a cynical one, because so many unsuspecting consumers are ripped off by the high prices of organic products, without palpable benefit. Thats why it should be high on the administrations hit-list.

Organic agriculture has morphed into a massive special-interest bonanza. Annual sales of organic food in the United States now exceed $40 billion. Federal spending on organic agriculture has mushroomed from $20 million in the 2002 Farm Act to more than $160 million in the 2014 Farm Act. And according to the USDA, during the Obama administration, USDA signed five major organic trade arrangements and has helped organic stakeholders access programs that support conservation, provide access to loans and grants, fund organic research and education and mitigate pest emergencies.

It is noteworthy that other, analogous special interests such as the producers of kosher and halal foods dont receive similar government benefits. (Read: welfare.)

The definition of organic continues to be a movable feast while the government and organic industry constantly tweak its meaning; it is completely arbitrary, after all, with no scientific basis. In January, the industrys primary lobbying group, the Organic Trade Association (OTA), announced a new partnership with the USDA to create yet another organic program the certified transitional program to aid farmers switching from conventional crops to organic. (They must wait 36 months before they can earn organic certification, in order that their farm is fully decontaminated from prohibited chemicals and practices.) This will help ease the transition process to organic, allow farmers to sell their products as certified transitional at a premium price and help encourage more organic production, according to the OTA.

Organic boosterism at the federal level is not without consequence. Consumers have been snookered into believing organic food is healthier, safer or better for the environment than nonorganic options although it is not. Because prices for organic food are much higher, those misconceptions eat away at the buying power of the average consumer. And while organic marketers like to promote the idea that organic implies locally grown, the United States is actually a net importer of organic goods, including organic grains from countries like China, India, Turkey and Romania, with no way to be sure those countries adhere to organic standards that even remotely resemble those in the United States.

Organic marketers have conned consumers into believing that organic growers dont use pesticides (they do, and many of them are highly toxic), that organic foods are more healthful (theyre not), and that organic practices are good for the environment. (Lower crop yields are inevitable given organic farmings systematic rejection of many advanced methods and technologies. The lower yields increase the pressure for the conversion of more land to farming and more water for irrigation, both of which are serious environmental issues.)

Their fearmongering and trashing the competition influence shoppers behavior, especially those with lower incomes, in an unconstructive way: A recent study published in Nutrition Today indicated that limited access and availability of organic produce in low-income communities could discourage purchase of any [fruits and vegetables] when organic is not available.

The Trump administration and the GOP-controlled Congress seem committed to making the federal governments actions and programs more cost-effective and less politically correct. Getting taxpayers out of the culinary snake-oil business would be an important step in that direction.

Organic agriculture has morphed into a massive special-interest bonanza. Kosher and halal foods dont receive similar government benefits.

Kelly is a food writer and National Review Online contributor. Follow her on Twitter at @julie_kelly2. Miller, a physician and molecular biologist, is the Robert Wesson Fellow in Scientific Philosophy and Public Policy at Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution. He was the founding director of the FDAs Office of Biotechnology. Follow him on Twitter at @henryimiller.

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Organic labeling program should be plowed under - The San Diego ... - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Retail chain LuLu Hypermarket has kept pace with the growing demand among its health conscious consumers seeking organic food products, including produce grown in farms in the country.

Only recently, LuLu participated in Mahaseel Festival, said Krishna Kumar R general manager, LuLu Hypermarket along D-Ring Road. The festival, organised by Katara-the Cultural Village, in collaboration with the Ministry of Municipality and Environments Agricultural Affairs Department, was aimed at supporting and promoting Qatars agricultural and livestock industry. But aside from supporting local farm produce, Kumar said LuLu is also sourcing most of the premium brands on healthy living from its international suppliers in the UK and the US, among other countries, to keep up with the growing demand from Qatar consumers. Nowadays, we are also promoting almost all organic and healthy products, especially in our new outlets like Al Messila and Barwa where we are keeping a large separate section for these items. Even in our D-Ring branch, we also keep almost all varieties of organic products as well as food items that promote a healthy lifestyle, he pointed out. Kumar said awareness campaigns on keeping a healthy lifestyle contributed to the growing demand for healthy options and has become a trend among Qataris and many expatriates. Demand for these products is a growing trend in Qatar due to increasing awareness on keeping a healthy lifestyle and choosing healthy options. Our customers are very health conscious hence it is part of our social responsibility to promote healthy living by responding to their growing needs, he stressed. Most expatriates who come to our outlets are looking for these healthy products but there is also a big demand from the Qatari market and they are also patronising many of these items, he further said. Speaking to Gulf Times previously, Qatar Culinary Professional chairman Baran Yucel said people in Qatar are now more aware about the health benefits and advantages of using organic produce. At the same time, he said there is a demand and potential growth for organic farming in Qatar. Citing the lack of organic plantation in Qatar a few years ago, Yucel said more organic farms are being established in the country. If there is no demand for organic fruits and vegetables, there wont be a second and third farm in Qatar. I am fully aware of the second farm and from what I understand, the third one is on its way, he said.

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More people turn to organic food products - Gulf Times