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Report from the Bichel Committee - Organic Scenarios for Denmark

Preface

The committee to assess the overall consequences of phasing out the use of pesticides – the so-called Bichel Committee – was asked in the spring of 1998 to extend its brief to include an assessment of the overall consequences of a total restructuring of the agricultural sector for organic production.

The Bichel Committee therefore appointed an interdisciplinary group with representatives of the sub-committees on agriculture, environment and health, production, economics and employment, and legislation, to prepare scenarios for 100% organic farming. The group’s task was to facilitate the cooperation between the sub-committees and prepare a combined report, although the sub-committees retained the scientific responsibility for their respective areas.

The present report describes six organic scenarios for how a 100% organic farm might look and the consequences of such restructuring for agriculture, the rest of society and the environment.

The report is one of five specialist background reports that form the basis for the Bichel Committee’s final report to the Minister for Environment and Energy. The four other background reports cover the consequences for agriculture, for environment and health, and for production, economics and employment, and the legal possibilities of phasing out the use of pesticides.

This is the first time in Denmark – and probably also internationally – that such an extensive interdisciplinary analysis has been carried out of the consequences for agriculture of total restructuring for organic production.

The analysis shows that total restructuring for organic production would be a drastic change and would lead to considerable restrictions on production compared with the present situation. The consequences of such restrictions are described in this report. However, such a drastic change would undoubtedly also trigger innovations and adjustments that are not included in the scenarios presented here.

The analysis shows that compulsory restructuring for 100% organic production in Denmark within the current framework would hardly be possible. However, there is a growing market for organic food products, which is resulting in increasing restructuring of the agricultural sector. This analysis of the consequences of total restructuring will therefore shed light on the consequences of the continuing trend towards more organic production and can thus be included in the basis for political decisions on public regulation of Danish agriculture.

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