The fair price takes into account production costs but also the systemic services through which organic farmers care for the health of people and the Planet. The fair price takes into account production costs but also the systemic services through which organic farmers care for the health of people and the Planet.
What is the fair price of a lettuce? And of a fennel? When we look at organic and biodynamic farming, the price of a product cannot simply cover the cost of production — it must also remunerate the work farmers do in caring for the Planet. Organic farmers produce food, but also clean air, water and soil, contribute to combating climate change and protecting biodiversity — in other words, services that are essential to the Planet and to people.
With the campaign "The fair price of food for the health of people and the Earth", NaturaSì, Italy's leading retail chain specialising in organic and biodynamic products, aims to spread this awareness and help consumers understand the value of farming that respects and enhances natural resources.
"This campaign was born out of concern for the state of agriculture, which right now is a vulnerable sector. We need to support it, and we need to do so together, because it is from the land that our food comes," Fabio Brescacin, president of NaturaSì, tells us. "We want people to understand that when you buy an organic product, you are also buying the health of people and the Planet."
The campaign, which involves 350 NaturaSì stores across Italy, distinguishes between the price paid for the product and that paid for ecosystem services, such as maintaining soil fertility, respecting biodiversity and protecting the landscape. The starting point was basic products such as lettuce and fennel. For lettuce, the production cost — including agricultural labour, cultivation costs, packaging and quality control — amounts to €1.33 per kilogram; NaturaSì pays the producer €2 per kilogram, a third more (€0.67), a contribution that recognises the value of ecosystem services for the benefit of the community. For fennel, against a production cost of €1.25 per kilogram (including agricultural labour, quality and packaging), NaturaSì pays €1.80 per kilogram, an extra €0.55 as support to the farmer for providing those services.
The production costs were calculated by NaturaSì, while the cost of ecosystem services was added on the basis of what farmers considered a fair price for their products.
"What we are also keen to convey is the idea that if you pay too low a price, someone or something else will end up paying the difference," Brescacin continues. "Behind conventional food there are hidden costs amounting to 10 billion dollars (FAO figure) that spill over into the environment (pollution), society (worker exploitation, illegal labour brokering) and public health (the cost of treating diseases)."
"When we founded our business 40 years ago, we were pioneers — just like Marco and Simona Roveda (first with Fattoria Scaldasole and then with LifeGate ed.)," recalls Brescacin. "Today I sense a new cultural ferment, a widespread sensitivity towards these issues. And consumption has been growing steadily, a sign that awareness is increasing. I believe change must start from the ground up and push politics towards transformation. We cannot make excuses — everyone can play their part, however small."
Looking ahead, the intention is to take the campaign a step further by including additional data on ecosystem services, chief among them the offsetting of carbon dioxide emissions.