Sweden: KRAV considering withdrawal from EU organic regulations

If the Swedish organisation KRAV takes up a proposal preferred by some people belonging to the Swedish organic community, the consequence would mean that products with the KRAV label could not be promoted as being organic any longer. According the EU rules, products not fully complying with the EU Organic Regulation are not allowed to be labelled as being ‘organic’.

During Almedalen Week, Anita Falkenek, CEO of KRAV, told the Swedish agricultural magazine ATL, that the commercial scope of organic operators in Sweden is limited by the operation under EU regulations. However, she also explained that only after having discussed this issue with the organic stakeholders, they would make a decision on this proposal with a potentially far-reaching impact.

Warnings of some members of the Swedish organic community imply that withdrawing from the EU Organic Regulation and having to invent a new alternative term for organic could confuse consumers and the KRAV brand could be weakened. Falkenek is well aware about the fact hat such a change could result in challenges – thus, she informed ATL that a new phrase such as “Swedish and sustainable” could be invented and that she thinks pure food from Sweden is a demanded good throughout the world.