The number of consumers of organic food products in Hungary is slowly growing, but their numbers are still so few that it’s difficult to say how many there actually are, struggling producers say. Organic products costs 10% to 20% more than other food products, which is something many people are unable or unwilling to pay. A few years ago, Hungary was one of the leading producers of organic food in Europe, but the area of cultivated land set aside for organic products has been decreasing since 2004. Most farmers cannot manage during the years needed for switching to organic production, and no state program to support them has been started for four years, resulting in a situation where the organic food has been unable to increase its market share.
Producers interviewed by Origo.hu said one of the reasons for the decreasing number of organic farms is strict EU regulations on plant protection, which do not allow synthetic chemicals to be used. As a result, natural processes, such as weather and pests have a greater impact on organic producers. (Follow the link and click on the picture of the pig for a photo gallery.)
Of the organic food produced in Hungary, 80% to 90% is exported. The amount of organic meat produced in Hungary is especially little, due to low demand.
“Organic products cost 10% to 20% more than other food products, which is something many [Hungarians] are… unwilling to pay”…
…because many Hungarians, to their credit, clearly see the “Bio” food fad as the utter horseshit that it is. It’s heartening to see that overpriced, crappy, so-called organic food will never catch on here.
wasn’t clever mister! –we need to form partnerships with local farmers, ranchers, and artisan producers, buy only hungarian products (buy local!) even if is not organic, not bio, just buy it and support small growers, Hungary is a great country we are extremely lucky
Here in the states, with huge factory farms and a lot of veggies coming from Mexico (and garlic from China!) it is hard to know what has been applied to them in the way of herbi-,pesticides. In Hungary, many folks raise a lot of their own food, have fruit trees, nut trees and so on. They can know what they are eating. Here, the careful try to buy from local farmers, health food stores. When I’m in Hungary, I don’t feel I’m being poisoned all the time. And let’s not get into GM food, which does not have to be identified as such here.
First off Hungarians get their organic vegetables and meats from their relatives with gardens in the countryside. I have happily been eating eggs for the past 2 years that were laid a couple days previously, have almost red-orange yolks and have zero sulfer smell when boiled. It’s no surprise they don’t trust the markups and labeling of “organics” in supermarkets since they already have a cheaper guaranteed supply with private connections.
@sean – what are you smoking?
@Anonymous — we seem to be in agreement here. “It’s no surprise they don’t trust the markups and labeling of “organics” in supermarkets”, you say, which to me is half of the lunacy of organic food. The other problem, though, is that there really is no difference between normally produced food and organically-grown food. Do you think producers use fungicides, pestisides, herbicides, fertilizers, GM seed, etc — basically, all the stuff that liberated modern humanity from a life of backbreaking labour on the farm — to make their crops taste shitty? I’ll never understand this belief that organic food somehow tastes better.
Also, it’s a bit off topic, but crop yields per acre are much lower when organic guidelines are followed, which means that if the entire world were to switch to organic growing tomorrow, there’d be widespread famine stemming from shortages and the concomitant spike in food prices. Those who could still afford to buy food would still have to wait until we clear-cut a couple million square kilometres of forest to make way for more arable land. It’s not at all environmentally friendly and warm and fuzzy and progressive and healthy and good for everybody, which seems to be the general tenor of the commenters here.
As for what I’m smoking, well, whatever it is, it’s turning me into a grumpy old man!
Sean: “widespread famine stemming from shortages”
There ain’t no food shortage, only an oversupply of people.
Slightly off-topic, but I really want to know: what’s with those kiwis that look like arses? I’ve seen them at a few different shops and markets around the city – they basically look like two kiwis merged together in a distinctly arse-like shape. While this kind of bizzarro anomaly is not unheard of, I’ve seen crates filled to the brim with the malformed arsefruit. Is it GM?
Sean: where to begin? First, why must it be either/or? You make it sound like a ‘red scare’ – even our kids’ kids are doomed if we go organic! Is there not room enough for both options? And in terms of the ‘bio’ branding – have you never paid a small premium for a brand you have faith in, or one that makes you feel better about using? It is called ‘choice’ and organic food only adds to that privilege. I don’t know what you are smoking, but I hope it is organic, those additives can be a killer.