Organic farmers push for 'Fair Deal'

Organic grains and foods are gaining popularity in North America, but some farmers are worried that as huge multi-nationals hop on the organic bandwagon, domestic farmers will be squeezed out.

"Wal-Mart's getting into organics and they've announced that the organic food is only going to cost 10 per cent more than the conventional food," said Jason Freeman, who works for Farmer Direct, a Regina-based farm co-operative.

"That's not economically sustainable for the local farmer."

Freeman said his group is working to ensure organic farmers in North America earn a living wage.

They have created a web-based system that allows consumers to trace their food back to the farm it's from. They are hoping this will give them an edge over the big organic companies.

Freeman is worried that big stores will buy from China and South America, driving down commodity prices and destroying local farmers.

So farmers are preparing to fight back. Consumers who buy products with a "Fair Deal" sticker can go to the website, type in the code and can see a picture of the farmer, the organic certificate and the history of the farm.

The tracing system is up and running, but Freeman hopes to expand the website and add more products over the next year.