April 23, 2014

Following the announcement of a new export partnership, China will soon be able to buy organic British meat.

Organic Food Development Centre (OFDC) in partnership with the Britain's Soil Association Certification (SAC) will boost British organic meat exports.

Over the past few years, the Chinese organic market has grown substantially and is predicted to be worth an estimated US$7.8 billion by 2015, according to BioFach China.

The Chinese meat industry has suffered from several food fraud scandals, which have already been proven to boost sales of organic products in other parts of the world as consumers seek out more reliable, higher-quality produce.

Other European countries are also seeking to take advantage of the Chinese potential. In January it was reported that Danish organic meat specialist Friland had plans to enter the Chinese market, estimating that it could represent 15% of their total production of organic pork within five years.

The SAC has set up an export support programme to help British farmers export their meat all over the world by working with international governments, trade associations, export agencies and certification bodies. The formation of this partnership was supported by the Regional City Engagement team at the British Embassy in Beijing, and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in the UK.