Iceland puts organic food on menu

The company has its HQ in Deeside

A north Wales-based frozen food chain has announced it is making organic food more accessible and affordable.

The Deeside-based Iceland company says its entire frozen vegetable range will convert to organic by October although it will mean a cut in profits.

Iceland said it is making a commitment to switch complete food ranges to organic at no extra cost to the customer.

Cut in profits

It claims that instead of hiking up prices, it will sell organics at the same price as average supermarket own-label food.

It means a hefty cut in the company¿s profits but Iceland's managing director, Russell Ford, said it is a long-term investment.

Although Iceland is pioneering this latest development, its rivals are also promoting organic food and increasing competition is likely to cut prices even further.

At the same time, Iceland is also pledging to help increase organic acreage in England, Wales and Northern Ireland through a pioneering new partnership with the National Trust, the UK's biggest landowner.

Organic conversion

Iceland will invest £1m to support the National Trust's 'whole farming planning' programme, which works with the charity's tenant farmers to develop environmentally responsible farming practices and opportunities for diversification, including the potential for organic conversion.

Iceland's £1m investment provides an added bonus, as for every pound donated to the National Trust's programme, a further £5 to £7 could be leveraged from European, Government or Lottery grants.

Malcolm Walker, chairman of Iceland, says: "At the moment, Britain has minimal organic production due to lack of Government investment in the organic industry in its formative years.

"We hope that our investment will help change this."