Easier to go ethical

With prices coming down and retailers stocking up on 'ethical' groceries, more Singaporeans are trying to be sustainable consumers. But some things could still be better
Cheow Xin Yi Today Online 8 Jan 12;

Out for a fine dinner with friends, one of them may order foie gras and tease her with: "You're sure you don't want?" She sticks to her guns and declines. And when Sarah Ong indulges in the occasional bag of potato chips, it has to come from Marks & Spencer.

It is not just a taste issue; she is a fan of the British retailer's efforts to source sustainably. "It is one of the prominent retailers who look at sustainability as the core of its business. In the United Kingdom, they support local produce and they communicate that very actively and advocate it to their customer," said Ms Ong, 35.

She admits, though, to the irony that its wares sold here are imported and hence exact a high carbon footprint.

Still, Ms Ong represents a growing segment of consumers who are embracing in their diets the principles of sustainability, minimal harm to the environment and to animals, and equitable trade for the producers. Once, ethical eating would have been considered niche - these days it commands a market share that is anything but.

Ethical consumers Today spoke to opt for one or more of several broad categories of food: Organic, free-range eggs and meat, seafood that is sourced or farmed sustainably, and local produce with minimal carbon footprint from source to plate.

Such consumers would also look out for fair trade products, which ensure decent wages and better living conditions for farmers. (Marks & Spencer, for one, sells fair trade coffee and tea; bakery chain Cedele serves its cuppas brewed from fair-trade coffee beans too.)


'NOT EASY, BUT GETTING BETTER'

In a sign that greater consumer awareness and pressure for sustainable consumption are gaining traction, NTUC FairPrice, Singapore's largest supermarket operator with more than 100 outlets, announced this week that it would cease the sale of shark's fin by the end of March. The move follows Cold Storage's trail-breaking pledge last October. Carrefour has since too followed suit.

Ms Ong, a Singaporean who lives in a five-room housing board flat with her parents, says she became more aware of environmental issues some five years ago while working for a logistics firm that was trying to reduce its global carbon footprint.

But the real turning point - when she made the conscious effort to change her lifestyle - occurred two and a half years ago, after volunteering at an organic farm in Japan. "Leading their lifestyle inspired me a lot. Being organic is also about your outlook in life. You want your way of life to be as natural as possible. So, the way you grow your crops and cultivate your food should respect the ecosystem and let it do its work," said Ms Ong, now a campaign manager with World Wide Fund for Nature (Singapore).

Still, only about 30 per cent of her food selections when she goes grocery shopping are organic - mainly because of budget and availability constraints. She admits that it is not easy going down the ethical eating route in Singapore, but things have definitely improved. "There are more options now compared to two to three years ago."


PRICES COMING DOWN AT SUPERMARKETS

Once available only at speciality stores and at a high premium, these days organic produce and products are within easy reach of heartlanders - thanks to FairPrice, which now stocks more than 800 varieties from cherries, greens and strawberries to wine, noodles and household cleaners.

Besides a dedicated "Just Organic" section at its nine FairPrice Finest stores, the retailer also carries organic products at more than 10 other outlets and organic fresh produce at more than 20.

A FairPrice spokesperson said prices for fresh produce under its household Pasar Organic brand, which the company sources through contract farming with Thai farmers, can be 50 per cent lower than those from other organic brands.

At Cold Storage, fresh organic fresh produce makes up less than 5 per cent of the retailer's selection (but up from less than 1 per cent five years ago). Prices tend to be at least 5 to 15 per cent higher than - sometimes even double - that of conventional stocks, depending on factors like supply availability or whether it is sea or air shipped, said a spokesperson.

Even so, the retailer said, the premium has come down by 30 to 40 per cent in recent years. "With the consistent demand put through to our partners, they are able to manage their crops and supply properly. Over the years, with the increased supply due to growing demand, prices have come down."

Even Sheng Siong supermarket, which caters to the more price-sensitive, said it is looking at bringing in organic vegetables and fruits. Its sales of the Elephant Brand of organic brown rice (S$5.10 for a 1kg pack or S$9.30 for two, compared to S$3.10 for their non-organic housebrand) have grown since it made the product available at all 25 outlets early last year.


PRODUCER WHO KEEPS IT CHEAP

Zenxin-Agri Organic Food - a wholesaler and retailer of organic products in Malaysia and Singapore, which also distributes to Cold Storage, Giant and Shop N Save - has been able to keep prices down because it controls the whole supply chain, said its executive director Tai Seng Yee.

At its retail store at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre, which stocks more than 50 varieties of organic vegetables and fruits at prices similar to those in supermarkets, kang kong can go for as little as S$1.70 for a 250g-pack, while broccoli sells for a mere S$2.30 per kg (compared to $15 to $20 per kg at other speciality organic stores Today on Sunday visited).

The firm has nine organic farms in Malaysia and a compost factory to make organic fertilisers, all certified by Australia's leading organic certifier, The National Association for Sustainable Agriculture. It also has its own packing unit and logistics network.

"We do everything ourselves, so we don't, for example, have to go to the farmer and check their fertilisers. Or if you're a farmer and you try to sell to the retailer, the retailer will ask a very high price from you. Since we take the whole chain, we are able to make it more reasonable," said Mr Tai.

Sometimes, it also depends on what you buy, says Ms Natalia Angel, a vegetarian whose groceries are least 80 per cent organic. She opts for non-organic nuts because they are "way less expensive than organic ones". "They sell almonds at the shop near my place in a big bag for S$20, and you're paying that much for a tiny 100ml bag at the organic shop."

But for other items the price difference can be marginal, she says. At one supermarket, she found regular raspberries priced at S$3.50, "and two steps away, in the organic section, there were organic raspberries for S$3.95. It was an obvious choice".


SOURCING LOCALLY

For every consumer trying to walk the ethical path, priorities often come into conflict.

Four Seasons Organic Market owner Joe Tan put the conundrum thus: "If you want to have locally-produced strawberries, that's almost impossible: It must come from the US or New Zealand, a six- to 12-hour flight. There are strawberries from Indonesia, but it has a lot of pests, very hard to grow organic.

"Organic grapes must be air-flown because of shorter shelf life, and have the higher carbon footprint. Normal grapes can be sea-freighted."

Thankfully, there is plenty that can be locally produced. FairPrice taps local farms for eggs, mushrooms and vegetables such as Kai Lan, Chye Sim, Spinach, bean sprouts and Xiao Bai Chye.

Singapore consumers are "increasingly appreciating and demanding" the freshness of locally produced food, the supermarket said, with the shorter turnaround time from harvest to point of sale.

In fact, 10 per cent of fish offerings at FairPrice come from local fish farms, a partnership initiative which began three years ago. Local fishes on sale - which as of last month is now distinguished by the "SGfish" label - include grey mullet, golden pomfret and green mussels. Sales increased 50 per cent in 2011 from a year earlier.

Local speciality stores such as Four Seasons (with outlets at City Square Mall, Great World City and Parkway Parade) and Eat Organic at Bukit Timah also carry local organically-grown vegetables, such as those from Quan Fa Organic Farm.

While there are no lack of local farms in Singapore - Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority statistics show about 180 local farms producing fish, vegetables and eggs - Ms Angel said the most difficult thing about eating local is making the journey to the farms to stock up. "I haven't gone out there and bought local food exclusively," said the Canadian expat, who came here to Singapore about two years ago.


NOT-SO-FREE RANGE?

Free-range products are another story. Most consumers Today spoke to, and even retailers, cite price and bird flu concerns as major challenges in rearing livestock under more humane conditions where they are free to roam around.

While Cold Storage carries free-range pork from Australia, it does not stock free-range poultry "due to the issue with avian flu". A Sheng Siong spokesperson said: "To prevent 'interaction' with other poultry or birds and to better control hygiene issues related to their droppings, the chickens we obtain are mostly bred in a controlled and contained environment. We think these considerations outweigh market demand for 'free-range' eggs and chicken."

When contacted, an AVA spokesperson clarified that while all meat and egg products imported into Singapore must come from approved sources, the regulator does not differentiate whether the farm in question is free-range, organic or conventional in its assessment.

This means eggs brought in can be from chickens that roam outdoors, so long as the farm has "in place a bird-proof structure to prevent contact with wild birds", said the spokesperson. This applies to eggs produced for consumption on local farms as well.

But to entrepreneur Adrian Chong, the concept of bird-proofing itself "defeats the purpose of having (chickens) free-range".

Mr Chong took one year to set up Freedom Range Company two years ago, to plug what he sees as a gap in the local market for affordable free-range eggs - a common item in England where he grew up.

"Bird-proofing means having them under shelter, basically.

"We spoke to an AVA guy and he said that even if we let them out and have netting, the bird droppings can flow through the netting," he said.

In the end, Freedom Range settled for barn-laid chickens, which do not roam outdoors but are housed in a barn system with "lots of natural sunlight and cross ventilation". Selling for S$2.75 to $$3 for six, Mr Chong said the eggs are offered at a "price point accessible to people who care about how their chickens are treated".

Free-range chicken meat meanwhile at Four Season Organic Market comes at a hefty S$30 per kg (Eberly's brand), compared to about S$7 per kg for a normal chicken.


A FISHY TRAIL

In February 2010, WWF Singapore released a guide on how to choose seafood from sustainable sources, dividing fish species, and their origins, into "recommended", "think twice" and "avoid" categories.

But putting the advice to practical use has been difficult with fishes rarely coming labelled.

Cold Storage, which joined WWF Singapore's Sustainable Seafood Group last year, said it is working with the NGO and suppliers to source for items that are certified by Friends of the Sea or Marine Stewardship Council. The retailer said it also indicates country of origin on seafood stocks.

Today on Sunday found no such labels at the Parkway Parade outlet and staff who were asked were none the wiser. But WWF's Ms Ong said she had seen labelled seafood at some other Cold Storage outlets.

In general, Ms Ong said, it is a challenge tracing the origins of imported seafood here because of the multiple intermediaries before the stock gets to retailer shelves. "You have to trace right back down the supply chain," she said. The fishmongers at the wet market can only tell her that they get their fish "from Jurong Port".

Restaurants, however, have a different supply line, especially those that use better-grade seafood - and Ms Ong thinks consumers can do their bit to push for information when they order. "When more consumers ask (where the food comes from), it makes the business realise, 'we need to prepare that kind of information'.

"It is funny how they can be so specific when they put on the menu 'fish with oregano' or 'fries with truffles or rosemary'. Why provide such information? Because they think consumers want to know," she said, adding that this approach can be applied to origins of food as well. "As a consumer, we have a right to know what we are paying for."


What does 'organic' mean? The jury's out
by Cheow Xin Yi
Most consumers think of organic foods as being pesticide- and chemical-free, and non-genetically modified - but definitions set by various international bodies can confound, rather than enlighten, consumers.

In Singapore, supermarket Cold Storage, for one, depends on the North America-based Organic Trade Association's definition of organic products as "foods that are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservations, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food".

FairPrice, on the other hand, defines organic food as "grown, handled and processed using organic standards set by international bodies", which include ensuring no synthetic pesticides and fertilisers are used at farms; sustainable practices to enhance the farm environment and ensure balance in the ecosystem; and no genetic modification. Food retailers which handle food are also expected to follow organic handling practices, it added.


THE 'FREE OF' MYTH

The challenge is grasping exactly what these standards are, which are typically detailed in technical jargon on the websites of such international bodies.

A 2010 BBC article reported that it is a myth that organic food is free of pesticides, insecticides, fertilisers and additives. It cited a list of approved products that organic farmers can use, with up to 20 per cent of chicken feed and 10 per cent of cow feed allowed to be non-organic. A spokesman for Soil Association - the certifier of organic foods in UK - is quoted as saying organic food meant "a minimal amount" of pesticides.

FairPrice, meanwhile, has developed its own Organic Assurance Programme, with its Pasar Organic produce certified by the Organic Thailand Agriculture Standards Certification and audited by an independent third-party auditor, Agrifood Technologies, an Agri-food and Veterinary Authority subsidiary.

Several retailers Today on Sunday spoke to, including FairPrice, point to the misconception of what is "organic" and "organically-grown".

"'Organic' is a labelling term for produce grown by applying organic principles and farming practices. Audit trails are conducted throughout the organic supply chain to ensure that the organic status of the produce is maintained," said FairPrice.

"Organically-grown" refers to crops grown using organic farming practice with no audit trails and therefore no indication if the produce is truly organic, it added.


MUST BE CERTIFIED: AVA

But checks with the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) seem to clear things up a bit, as far as labelling is concerned.

"Regardless of whether a food is imported or locally produced, if the food product is labelled 'organic foods', 'organically produced' or words of similar meaning, they have to be certified by an organic food certification body that the products are 'organic', based on guidelines established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission," said an AVA spokesperson, referring to an intergovernmental body by the United Nations and World Health Organization to determine world food standards.

AVA added that importers and retailers of organic foods must produce original organic certificates for verification. False labelling of "organic" produce upon inspection will subject retailers to fines of up to S$5,000 for first conviction, and up to S$10,000 or a three-month jail-term, or both, for subsequent ones. Cheow Xin Yi

A Couple Of Tips
by Yu Pei Fern and Cheow Xin Yi
THE DIRTY DOZEN

An apple a day doesn't keep the doctor away , unless it is organic.

The fruit is on the 'Dirty Dozen' list of produce that consumers are advised to eat only if certified organic. Others on thedailygreen.com's 2011 list include all berries, celery, peaches, spinach, bell peppers, potatoes, lettuce, collard greens and imported grapes.

On such produce, it is not a simple matter of rinsing off the pesticides before eating, as these chemicals often penetrate deep beneath the skin. "Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries … because they're very porous and are among the fruits that get sprayed most with pesticides, they also absorb the chemicals more," entrepreneur Natalia Angel said.

There is, conversely, the 'safe dozen' for eating in non-organic form, such as onions, pineapples, avocados and mangoes.


HOW TO READ LABELS

It is standard practice for labels to list a product's ingredients in descending order, greenies note. "The first three ingredients are the ones most abundant in the product. So if these three are not good, what you are buying probably isn't very good," Ms Angel said. "If you are don't know what the ingredients listed are, then you probably shouldn't buy it."

Look out also for little numbered stickers. Price look up (PLU) codes are admninistered by The International Federation for Produce Standards, a global body of national produce association ( www.plucodes.com). For organically grown products, the number '9' is added to the front of the regular four-digit PLU code. Genetically engineered produce is distinguished with a number '8'.