Organic Certification, Regulations and Policy

Abstract

Well-intentioned regulations often need adjustments to support a diverse and sustainable food system, as shown through several case studies. Food safety has evolved from combating deliberate adulteration (like brick dust in chilli powder) to navigating vulnerable globalized food chains. Piglets can get the iron they need by rooting in the soil instead of taking supplements, but Belgian regulations make that a controversial solution. Although EU regulations allow mobile slaughterhouses for better animal welfare, Belgian policies favour large-scale systems, making it harder for smallholders and local food processors to operate. A Bolivian law intended to protect consumers with food labelling may unintentionally put small-scale producers out of business. In modern Europe, hunting is regulated to control pests (like wild boars and pigeons) and maintain wildlife balance. New EU regulations on seed coatings (like the neonicotinoid ban) have increased the problem of pigeons for conventional farmers, but hunters fail to provide their services in a monocrop landscape stripped of hedgerows.