An advertisement for a brand of organic milk has been banned for using the “misleading” claim that its production is good for the land.
The Advertising Standards Authority upheld one reader’s complaint that an advert for Arla, which also claimed that the company was “helping support a more sustainable future”, was deceptive on the grounds that all forms of dairy farming, including rearing cows under an organic system, were not good for the environment. This was on the basis that any form of food production will involve using energy and transport, and create waste and packaging.
Arla Foods, which manages other brands including Anchor and Cravendale, said that one of the key principles of organic farming was sustainability and that the impact on the environment was considered in every step of the production process.
The company submitted evidence to the advertising regulator from the Soil Association, which sets industry standards for organic farming and campaigns on behalf of the industry, to back up its claims. The charity has insisted that organic farms are better for the environment because fewer chemicals are used and wildlife is encouraged.
However, the regulator said that consumers would interpret the “good for the land” claim to mean that production of the milk would have an overall positive impact.
Advertisement
“We acknowledged that Arla had provided evidence regarding the organic farming methods used and that they believed this was more sustainable than non-organic farming,” the regulator said.
“However, we did not consider they had substantiated that organic milk production had an overall positive impact on the environment, taking into account its full life cycle.
“We therefore concluded that the claim was misleading.”
The regulator ruled that the advert must not appear again in its current form, adding: “We told Arla Foods to ensure that in future they did not make environmental claims about their products unless they held sufficient substantiation.”
A spokesman for Arla Foods said: “The ‘good for the land’ line reflected that one of the key principles of organic farming is ensuring good treatment of the land.
Advertisement
“According to the Soil Association, organic farming methods offer the best currently available, practical model for addressing climate-friendly food production.
“We are disappointed by the decision but we will respect the ruling and have no intention to reuse the specific advert.”