From alternative Agriculture to the Food Industry, The Need for Changes in Food Policy

The development of organic agriculture has mainly been initiated as a bottom-up strategy. The "counterculture" characterized by organic farmers, environmentalists and "political" consumers was the initiators to this development. In the second phase state authorities and supranational institutions have established rules and control systems for organic agriculture (the last decade). A break-through of organic food production is now taking place in some EU member states. This third change is indicated by more positive attitudes to organic products from the food industry but also by an increasing need for a more appropriate respons in the food policy.