We have reported again and again about efforts to scare consumers out of choosing the foods they wish. Now, the results of these orchestrated fear campaigns are starkly visible. “A succession of food scares, diseases and related problems means many consumers have lost faith in what they eat,” Welsh organic farmer Bob Kennard tells a food conference.
For organic marketers like Kennard, though, this isn’t bad news — it’s been the plan all along. According to an Organic Times brochure, “polls indicate that this anxiety [over food fears] remains a contributing factor to sustained, dramatic increases in organic food sales.” Or, more to the point, here’s marketing consultant Katy Hamilton at the 1999 Organic Foods Conference: “The potential to develop the organic market would be limited if consumers are satisfied with food safety.”
