Maintaining the balance between national demand and supply of organic food-example of organic vegetables in the UK.

Summary

As the organic market continues to grow in the UK there is strong consumer and policy presssure that organic food is sourced from in-country and not imported. This paper examines the recent trends both in demand for organic vegetables and supply from the growth of converted organic land in the UK. It identifies both drivers and constraints, especially in relation to increasing the number of conversions of farms and the productivity of the land and concludes that a combination of favourable economic, social and institutional factors are all necessary in order to create a favourable environment for national supply to balanced with demand