{{image}}Last week we wrote about Eurotrash; this week’s post features the “Euro-leaf”– the EU’s new organic farming logo. The star-studded green leaf logo pictured at left will soon adorn packages of organic food produced within the European Union.
The new organic farming logo, introduced together with Commission Regulation (EU) No 271/2010 of 24 March 2010, as well as Commission Regulation (EC) No 889/2008, is intended to give consumers confidence about the provenance and purity of their foodstuffs. It is a registered collective trade mark and replaces the first EU organic logo, which will now become obsolete. The presence of the new logo on the package ensures that the stipulations of the EU organic farming regulation have been followed. For processed products, it signifies that at least 95% of the agricultural raw materials are organic.
The EU organic logo will be compulsory for all pre-packaged organic food products produced within the EU from July 1, 2010. It may also be used, on a voluntary basis, on non pre-packaged organic food from the EU, as well as any organic food imported from third (non EU) countries. There will be a two-year transitional period, so the gradual placement of the new logo on the market will continue until 2012. This period is meant to give producers an opportunity to adapt to the new regulation, and also to avoid the undue waste of existing packaging that might already have been printed with the former logo. For producers who want to derive the benefits of the logo right away, they can begin to use it from the seventh day after the publication of Regulation No 271/2010 of 24 March 2010.
An additional aim of the logo is to support the organic farming sector by popularizing organic products.
In order to find a design that would appeal to consumers across the Union, the Commission organized a design competition, open to art and design students from all of the member states. There were 3,422 entries which were assessed by a professional jury. The top ten designs then competed in an online vote, after a copyright check. The winning logo, the “Euro-leaf”, received 63% of the votes from the European public. It is meant to symbolize the marriage of Europe and nature. Let’s hope that it also signifies a green light for green agriculture.
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