Organic crops grow popular

Food scares have turned con sumers against genetically modified crops in favour of pro duce grown without chemicals and livestock reared using nat ural methods. In Austria, which has the most organic farms in the European Union's 15 mem ber states, strong demand for organic food has prompted the biggest supermarket chains to offer extensive lines of organic food.

Growing demand has caused the number of organic farms to rise from 2,000 in 1991 to over 20,000 this year. Around 11 per cent of farmable land is organically run. Of the nation's 220,000 farms, 10 per cent ad here to strict organic regula tions.