Soil Association

Our own CEO of Soil Association Certification amplified the voice of #organic at the House of Lords yesterday! He highlighted the incredible work of our organic certified coffee businesses, who are playing a crucial role in protecting our climate, nature and health at the World Coffee Alliance summit

Did you know that plastic net wrap used to make hay bales on UK farms contributes to a staggering 135,000 tonnes of agricultural plastic waste annually? It sheds harmful microplastics that pollute our water, soil, and are ingested by farm animals. Stuart Oates from Rosuick Organic Farm in Cornwall is determined to find a plastic-free alternative. He’s testing sisal, a natural twine made from a cactus-like plant, which was widely used before the industrial revolution. Sisal is easy to use, requires minimal inputs to grow, and can be safely composted. But can it meet the demands of modern farming? In an Innovative Farmers field lab, Stuart and 12 other UK farmers are putting sisal to the test. They’re assessing its strength, durability, and impact on hay quality to see if it can be scaled up as a sustainable alternative. Stuart says the most important part of the project is starting the conversation around plastics on farms. He hopes that “we can take the ideas from this project and develop them using modern techniques, to really advance farming for the future”. Listen to this episode of @BBC Farming Today to learn more: https://lnkd.in/eGFSWDMN And find out more about the Innovative Farmers #fieldlab: https://lnkd.in/eDdW6_-r

We're still celebrating all the inspiration, insights and innovations shared at this year's Organic Trade Conference! As highlighted in The Grocer, there was an uplifting message of growth of the organic sector (https://lnkd.in/ekQzx9n8) We shared the latest market data, which reported organic food and drink sales have grown by 6.4% in the past year, outpacing conventional products. 📈 59% of supermarket shoppers regularly buy organic, and 70% are willing to pay more for sustainable brands. “It has been a demonstration of the power of collaboration and the energy of the sector with significant progress to understand the barriers and opportunities for growth and what we need to do to unleash the potential of organic and meet the booming demand for it" - our Commercial Director Alex Cullen Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ej9nv6Tf #OrganicTradeConference #OrganicMarket #Retail #Supermarket #Sustainable Clearspring Michaël Wilde, Lucy Williamson, Megan Brown - Frugi, Hannah Gibbs - Sustain: The alliance for better food and farming, Bryce Cunningham, William Fugard - Gusto Organic, Jacob T. -Cocofina, Dominic Simler - PLAYIN CHOC LTD, Susie Hewson - Natracare, Suranga Herath - English Tea Shop, Anna Bullen - Bore Place - Home of Commonwork Trust, Bart Vollaard - Organic Cotton Accelerator,

Soil Association Certification are excited once again to be a supporting organisation for the European Sustainable Cosmetics Summit! 💄 🌱 Organised by Ecovia Intelligence members of our Beauty and Wellbeing team will be in Paris next week to hear the latest insights from the world of sustainable cosmetics, and will be on-hand to answer any questions regarding COSMOS certification. ✨ Find out more about the summit here: https://lnkd.in/eR7J8Ydn

"The appetite for organic as part of the solution to climate issues and sustainability wherever you are in the world is seen as the root in...there is a young market out there that is desperate to make those choices" - Susie Hewson MBE, founder of Natracare, sharing how she built commercial success for her organic business across international markets at our #OrganicTradeConference

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our #OrganicTradeConference! What an inspiring room of ideas of how we can achieve organic at scale, and make organic more available, accessible and affordable to all. Some of our highlights include: Michaël Wilde shared the progress and growth in the Netherlands organic market, started by government and delivered by the sector with long-term vision and ambition - “the crucial change is that we don’t have to defend organic anymore, the government knows what it delivers" Hearing from inspiring organic entrepreneurs, such as Susie Hewson MBE, Founder of Natracare sharing how she built her international brand, standing up to some of the major health and beauty names - “certification claims are what make you stand out from the crowd” Mike Watkins, NIQ reported that the organic sector is now out-performing non-organic as the food and drink industry recovers from the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis, with health and wellness a top priority for modern day consumers. "Tesco and Sainsbury’s are the engine room for organic in the multiples – both are in double digit growth with organic, which I’ve never seen before" Dr Lucy Williamson, The Gut Project, highlighted the evolving conversation around nutrition and its implications for organic - "organically produced fruit and veg are like rocket fuel for our microbiome” Bryce Cunningham, Mossgiel Organic Farm, sharing insights on supporting local businesses and the public sector and the power of collaborating - "share the problem and ask for help" Hannah Gibbs of Sustain: The alliance for better food and farming, "don’t be thwarted by being knocked down – be willing to try something different that doesn't quite fit your model but is going to reach a new market" Niamh Noone, Senior Marketing Manager at Soil Association Certification shared her knowledge of green-claims codes - “as marketeers we need to be as wary of greenhushing as we are greenwashing” Thank you for kindly supporting this event Clearspring and Forest Whole Foods #OrganicTradeConference #Organic #Market #Greenwashing #Sustainable #International #Trade #Health

Bryce Cunningham, owner of Mossgiel Organic Dairy, is committed to making organic more accessible, affordable and available to all. He’s aiming to scale up his farm to bring organic milk to more people in the UK, facing up to Big Dairy who are driving small farmers out of business (https://lnkd.in/ewarznSF) “The appetite is there – our success shows that. Our products are in high demand, but our capacity is limited. We want to meet the moment and give people the ethical, organic milk they are crying out for” said Bryce. We’re looking forward to hearing Bryce talk more about expanding access to organic at our Organic Trade Conference next Thursday 10th October. Tune into his panel discussion at 14:25 – 15:05 Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e-HA9E4U

A recent Fruitnet article highlighted how the organic market is ‘booming’ in Italy & the Netherlands for key categories, with organic grape sales rising by 150-200% in the past decade - compared to 30% for non-organic grapes. We're looking forward hearing Michaël Wilde, Founder & Bio Ambassador of The Organic Embassy in the Netherlands talk about the Dutch organic market at our upcoming #OrganicTradeConference. 🚨Don't miss his session from 11:30 – 12:35, this Thursday 10th October. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e-HA9E4U Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eg89YDyg #Organic #Market #International #Trade

EUDR Update: Following pushback from business groups and some producer countries, the European Commission (EC) has proposed that the implementation of EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) be delayed by 12 months. If the proposal is accepted the new deadline for implementation will be 30 Dec 2025 for most businesses, and 30 June 2026 for small/micro-enterprises. At the same time, the EC has published the highly anticipated FAQs: https://lnkd.in/e2bi8gPg and implementation guidance: https://lnkd.in/e-Hg8XtT. The proposal for an extended phase-in period does not call for any changes to the actual requirements which is welcome. If the proposal is accepted, it is still vitally important that all businesses and organisations continue to move as quickly as possible towards implementation and finding solutions to the existing barriers. This is essential to both protect the world's forests, and ensure businesses are able to comply with legislation. *The need for legislation for forests and climate is more urgent than ever* Regardless of whether the proposal for extension is accepted, we call on the EU to provide urgent support to smallholders and engage in multi-stakeholder conversations with producer countries, to ensure EUDR works to deliver a just climate transition. Soil Association Certification will continue to work hard to ensure we are able to support companies with #EUDR, and deliver trusted solutions with nature, for people and planet.

Reflecting on an incredible #OrganicSeptember, we’re feeling all the gratitude!   A huge thank you to everyone who joined in, from organic farmers sharing their amazing journeys to local indie shops dazzling us with their beautiful displays. 💚🌍   You all went above and beyond to show how important organic is, and we couldn’t be more inspired! 🙌 Let’s keep the organic movement growing together. 🌿