Just my personal observation:
In the next village driving west there is a market garden that went organic a couple of years back.
The next village after that has one of Denmark's largest tomato greenhouses (20% of tomato sales, 40% of cherry tomato) and I'll be durned if they aren't organic too. They at least use biological pest methods (a small wasp to fertilize too), but I'll call and ask them if they use NPK (in which case I wouldn't buy their tomatoes).
This is very local, but of course there are others nearby who have been around longer. The biodynamic market garden is gone though, as the owner is just too old.
Carol
Most greenhouse growers in Europe, and I suspect right around the world,
now realise that its cheaper and easier to use biological pest controls
than the chemical ones. Doesn't seem to be a matter of food safety or even
their own health, just cost. Biological controls breed more biological
controls, you have to keep buying in sprays. Also tomatoes need
fertilisation, even though air movement will do it. Moving air is
greenhouses is expensive. Bumble bees are cheaper. Sprays kill bumble bees.
Feeding is a different matter - while the pesticide use gets cut back the
feeding seems to move more and more towards hydroponics and we aren't
talking compost tea. So indoor grown European tomatoes won't kill you with
pesticides, but they probably won't feed you either.
kathryn
I know the Dutch use hydroponics a lot, but I doubt they do it in Denmark! Don't really understand the Dutch either - I assume they have very good soil...
Carol
(But I will ask. And thanks for the clarification!)
