Name your poison - organic of course

By Philippa Stevenson

Anyone for a gin and tonic, or a slug of vodka?

It may be early but note this: the gin and vodka are organic.

Make way for a rollicking good time on a sort of a Claytons Claytons because you can now poison your system in a wholesome way.

Britons, at least, will soon be able to get their supposedly healthy "mothers' ruin" and "Russian revenge" at leading UK supermarket, Sainsbury.

The tipple may make you titter but the business is serious. In a year, the giant chain has more than doubled sales of organically grown food to $8 million a week.

"Consumers more and more want an organic option across a range of goods, and that includes spirits," a Sainsbury spokesperson said.

It makes you wonder about consumers' grip on a few basic scientific facts but then it has been said that you will never go broke under-estimating the customer.

Last time I looked there were large chunks of New Zealand's food and fibre-producing scene going broke or worse, so it would seem some serious under-estimating is long overdue.

The Organic Products Exporters Group (OPEG) reckons New Zealand is in danger of missing a profitable organic bus. The sector is growing - by 20 per cent in 1999 to $35 million worth of exports - but that is small fry against the demand.

Britain, which imports 70 per cent of its organic food, expects the market to be worth $1600 million in 2000. Up to 10 per cent of Japan's $666 billion food market is likely to be organic products next year, and the US organic market is forecast to be around $90 billion by 2006.

At the same time, countries as diverse as Argentina and Denmark have made major commitments to organic growing. Denmark aims to be totally organic by 2010. Argentina has 200,000ha in organic production (New Zealand about 14,000ha).

Converting to organic farming is a fraught and costly task which governments worldwide have recognised by providing incentives. That's likely to be an unpalatable view to the present Government but an election might change that.

The Green Party, which could be a useful coalition partner, is campaigning to have half New Zealand's production certified organic by 2020.

However, New Zealand would commit economic suicide if it sacrificed its biotechnological expertise and prospects on the organic altar.

In time, organic products will be just another brand as subject to fickle consumer swings as any other, making OPEG's support for a ban on genetic engineering in agriculture and food production short-sighted and dangerous.

We'll raise our glasses to a successful future only if we are smart enough on many fronts.

How hard can it be to out-smart people who think organic alcohol is a better buy?