Mediterranean organic food experts Organico welcome the newly issued research, from the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), (Summer 2009) supporting the importation of tomatoes over home-grown.  

Organico marketing Manager Tracy Wright says: “All our Italian sauces contain tomatoes grown in Italy and harvested when ripe. The production is seasonal and uses organic agriculture. While we know that local is frequently the best option for British products, we also know that our Mediterranean products are organic, authentic, traditional and locally produced by artisan workers. Things that we feel are very important.”

The report, “Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Food Commodities”, claims that the "food miles argument” which says that anything transported over distance is worse for the environment than something grown closer to home is frequently flawed. Researchers claim that the environmental impact when growing tomatoes or strawberries in Britain, for example, is higher than when we import the same products from hotter countries. Much more energy is needed to heat greenhouses in cold Britain than in Italy’s warm temperatures, so there is a trade-off between the increased use of gas and electricity, and the longer transport distance and greater demands on water in Italy.

The study was published last year but not made public by Defra until now. The report also suggests that it may be better to import staple foods and avoid the emissions caused by refrigerating British produce for long periods.  It adds that the best way to help reduce the impact on the environment is by paying more attention to seasonality.  The delicious Organico sauces are made with seasonal produce and are preserved in jars so are kept at ambient temperatures. Thus being both seasonal and not requiring refridgeration. Because the sauces are made using organic agriculture they also do no harm to the environment through pesticides and also follow sustainable principles.