Prince Charles, one of Britain's best known organic farmers, was honouring the best producers at an awards ceremony in London.

He said he feared that some farmers may jump on the organic food bandwagon purely in the hope of making a quick profit.

He said: "There is a real risk that the kind of success demonstrated here today will attract people with the wrong motives and the wrong values to take up organic farming.

GM technology unproven, said the Prince

"We must all be vigilant in protecting what has been achieved, by ensuring that the organic sector has no room for the get rich quick mentality, nor for second rate produce.

"It is vitally important to continue to say, with absolute conviction, that organic farming delivers the highest quality, best tasting food, produced without artificial chemicals or genetic modification and with respect for animal welfare and the environment."

Prince Charles said he hoped that organic producers would recognise that the continued growth of the sector would depend on maintaining the current high standards, regardless of demand.

Prize winners

The Prince, whose own farm at Highgrove is organic, presented 23 awards for the nation's best organic produce in front of an audience of 200 at the 12th annual Soil Association Organic Food Awards at the Savoy Hotel, London, sponsored by the Mail on Sunday's You magazine.

Waitrose won the first ever award for Organic Supermarket of the Year, while the winner of the 1998 Organic Trophy was the Village Bakery, in Melmerby, near Penrith.

Bakery owner Andrew Whitely set up the business 22 years ago to provide hand-made bread to local shops.

Retailer of the year was Planet Organic of London, and Clipper Teas won the new product award for their organic freeze-dried instant coffee.

Prince pans GM food

The Prince voiced his opposition to genetically modified foods.

"Personally, I don't think it is right to tamper with the building blocks of life. I also regard the technology as unproven, with the potential to cause serious and possibly irreversible damage to wildlife and the environment."

He also defended the higher cost of organic produce, saying it was of much better quality than normal food.

"The price, of course, is generally higher but it should come as no surprise that this does not provide a barrier to sales.

"In every other area of our existence we accept that the highest quality produce tends to cost more, whether we are looking at hi-fi equipment, holidays, cars or clothes."

Prince Charles also spoke of the problem of finding enough British suppliers of organic products.

"The demand for organic food is growing at a remarkable rate. Consumers have made it clear that they want organic produce...

"Indeed the current rate of growth of the market appears to be limited only by the availability of supply.