The Soil Association Charity, OF&G and Soil Association Certification - Memorandum of Understanding

The Soil Association Charity, OF&G and Soil Association Certification have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding which outlines how the Parties will work together to jointly promote the interests of Organic and agroecological farming and food to deliver positive outcomes for climate, nature and health, in the UK and internationally that otherwise would not be achievable as independent actors.

The practice-based outcomes of the Organic system, and the consequent saving on synthetic input use – pesticides and fertilisers – with the associated reduction in GHG emissions and increase in biodiversity, improved water quality and other natural capital benefits associated with Organic production systems would make a 25% uptake of Organic at farm level transformational.

The Parties therefore wish to work better together, in a spirit of co-operation, to promote Organic within this new, dynamic and evolving landscape, whilst also encouraging materially improved practices and outcomes from non-Organic farming.

The collaboration between the Parties on ELMS and other policy issues has already provided the right focus for sector-wide promotion of Organic with DEFRA and others (including the environmental NGOs). In addition, all Parties believe that signposting an ‘Organic’ pathway on the Agroecological/Regenerative journey is important.

Building from these two foundations, the Parties agree on the following further key areas of alignment and cooperation:

1. To jointly communicate the ambition and need for transformational not incremental change in our food system, through the widespread adoption of Organic farming;
2. To work toward Organic becoming increasingly available, acceptable and affordable “for all”;
3. To work toward a joint line on countering ‘anti-Organic’ narratives.

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Further reading:
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