The 30% Canary schools will have organic food.

The sector of organic farming in the Canary Islands has passed from the 5.100 hectares in 2009 some 7.000 today.

The measure, It refers also to other public institutions such as hospitals and centres of higher, It aims to give one boost greater than the sector.

In the Canary Islands there are 1.240 operators dedicated to organic farming. The figure--which includes producers, producers and marketers- It is a test of the evolution experienced by the sector, What It's been of 5.100 cultivated hectares in 2009 some 7.000 today.

The progress is obvious, but it is also true that the Islands have a certain delay with respect to the whole of the country. So says Miguel López, Secretary island of Tenerife of the Coordinator of organizations of farmers and ranchers of Canary Islands (COAG-Canary Islands), who clarifies that if the archipelago is lagging behind in this aspect is not in quality, but in quantity.

And this, points, Despite the fact that it has the ideal conditions to be "the very best" in the production of organic crops. The key to the situation is unable to domestic market weakness even sustain a remarkable increase in activity.

The potential that accumulates the archipelago for organic agriculture rests on several factors, According to Miguel López: the orography, the various microclimates, the manageable size of farms and the great "agro-diversity".

There are other factors that hamper the work of the organic growers of the Islands. The difficulty of achieving ecological or non-treated seeds is one of them, Although sometimes can sort through the flexibility of the regulations in this regard, as granted to the farmer in a bind request authorization of the Administration to use conventional seed.

"There is growing awareness of the need for a healthy diet", says José Díaz-Flores, Director of the Canary Institute of agro-food quality (ICCA), Agency that the data on these practices comes from and which develops one of the actions that, According to the COAG, they can contribute to further expansion of ecoAgriculture: the introduction of organic products in public facilities and, in particular, in schools.

The ICCA aims to enter the 20% and the 30% of the school canteens, hospitals and larger centers have organic food.

This measure is framed in the 'pedagogical and social conscience' work What, in the view of Miguel López, be the agricultural organizations "by the hand of the Administration" and that also should go to the own responsible politicians.