Sales of organic foods in the U.K. are expected to be five times higher in 2000 than in 1996, compared to a doubling of U.S. organic food sales during the same period. Why the surge in Britain? Opposition to genetically modified ingredients, now common in nonorganic foods, has been widespread and strident in Britain, pushing organics so much into the limelight that 70 to 80 percent of sales have occurred in conventional supermarkets. Observers also surmise that organic foods in the U.K. have been helped along by a supportive press, historic connections to the land, the high profile of vegetarianism in the country, and consistent government standards for organics across the European Union.
