NBA alarm over organics Tesco's announcement of plans to boost organic food sales is the latest in a series of publicity coups for the sector, but signs of unease are appearing in the mainstream livestock industry. This week the National Beef Association's chief executive Robert Forster said he was "alarmed" by the prominence DEFRA had already given to organic agriculture in its plans to remodel UK food production. "The organic brand should not be seen as exclusively environmentally friendly," Forster urged. Instead it should be regarded as "just one of many farming styles that carry legitimate green credentials". Forster's outburst is noteworthy because although the NBA has a reputation for militancy and sometimes irresponsibility, it often voices sentiments shared privately by senior executives in the meat industry and even within its big rival the NFU. {{MEAT }}

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