Living Earth - Spring 2023

SREBMEM ZAGAM

LIVING EARTH

Taking the Biscuit

Tell the government to stop promoting ultra-processed foods

A Growing Success

A look at accessibility in farming

Our Spring Appeal

Can you help give pigs a better life?

Welcome

to the spring edition of Living Earth

Since our last edition, more detail on the support schemes for England’s farmers has been revealed, some of which (such as a payment not to use insecticides) is very welcome. It’s especially important to get this clarity as many sectors of agriculture and horticulture are in turmoil given energy and feed prices, and last summer’s drought. On our farm we have already experienced shortages in stores as a result.

I know just how hard it is from my own direct experience on the farm. We are constantly rebudgeting and evolving what we do, and are relieved to have scraped through the winter without running out of forage. Now at least we have the spring-born calves and piglets to keep us cheerful; seeing the piglets outside, rooting and playing, always puts a spring in my step.

But of course, around the world, millions upon millions of pigs are kept in noisy, confined spaces with poor standards of animal welfare and high antibiotic usage. Things are not perfect in the UK of course, and we always seek improvements, but the work many farmers have done to improve pig welfare here looks set to be undermined by short-sighted trade deals with inadequate safeguards on animal welfare and environmental protection. We need to keep the pressure up on this issue. If you want to help pigs live a happier, more natural life, please do go to p8 to support our appeal.

We share an update on the hedge restoration project taking place on Woodoaks Farm on p5, and all the benefits that the restoration of these ancient hedgerows provides for wildlife on the farm.

Despite growing evidence showing the major health risks associated with ultraprocessed foods, our latest investigation reveals that the UK Government is actively promoting them through the ‘Better Health’ app! On p6, we highlight the irony of this in our Taking the Biscuit campaign, asking the Government to take the risks that ultra-processed foods present to our health far more seriously. Thank you to everyone who has already signed the petition and supported the campaign.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Living Earth. As ever, please do get in touch with us with any comments or queries; we love hearing from you.

Helen Browning CEO and organic farmer Issue: 270

Your

Taking

Can

Please

Thanks to you...

We’d like to say a big thank you to you, our members, for your continued support. Together, we’re making a real difference.

World Soil Day

In December 2022, we celebrated World Soil Day by encouraging people to go outside and get dirty for climate and nature. We raised awareness of the importance of healthy soils, and our message reached up to 9.7 million people! Celebrities, including Deborah Meaden and Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall, also helped share our World Soil Day message far and wide.

Changing children’s food for good

We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated to our Christmas appeal to change children’s food for good. Thanks to you, we can continue expanding our Food for Life school lunch programme across the country, giving more children access to healthy and sustainable food in these difficult times, when they need it the most. Thank you.

Taking the Biscuit

This year, we launched our campaign against ultraprocessed food, asking the Government to stop promoting unhealthy ultra-processed food using their ‘Better Health’ app when it should be encouraging healthy eating.

Our petition has already been signed by almost 15,000 people and, as a result, the government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition has committed to producing a position statement on UPFs this year. Read more about this campaign on p6

Planting for the future

Many of you will remember Woodoaks, our 300-acre farm just outside of London, near Maple Cross in Hertfordshire. The farm was gifted to the Soil Association by a generous landowner, with the intention being that Woodoaks showcase the success of nature-friendly farming practices, run with community at its heart.

In 2021, we asked our members to help us plant a network of 2km of new hedgerows on Woodoaks Farm, replacing those lost in the years of intensive farming and adding some new ones too, to build a haven for nature.

Thanks to the generous support of our members, this winter we were able to achieve our goal.

The planned 2km of hedgerows have now been planted on Woodoaks Farm by our lovely volunteers – local people, schools, individuals and businesses came together, bringing hard work, laughter and buckets of team spirit to get the job done!

Rose Lewis, Soil Association Programme Manager for Woodoaks, said, “The very action of bringing people together to do something

positive fosters a real sense of community and a collective investment in the future of our planet.”

We chose to plant a variety of hedgerow trees, including blackthorn, wild cherry, field maple, and dogwood, each bringing its own benefits to wildlife on the farm.

Wild cherry – these beautiful, blossoming trees look great as part of a hedgerow, and are great for pollinators too. The cherries they produce are popular with birds.

Blackthorn – a very popular choice for hedgerows, blackthorn grows very densely, and provides a good home for mammals like hedgehogs, as well as toads and birds. The bushes also produce berries, which are popular with blackbirds and thrushes.

The new network of hedgerows will bring huge opportunities for local wildlife, capture carbon, and protect and strengthen the soil from extreme weather for generations to come. And as the hedge grows, it will continue to be a valuable part of the farm for hundreds of years.

To everyone who made this possible, we can’t thank you enough.

Taking the Biscuit

How the UK Government is promoting ultra-processed junk food to families

When it comes to ultra-processed foods, the UK Government really is taking the biscuit. Despite growing evidence showing the major health risks associated with ultra-processed foods, our investigation has revealed that the UK Government’s ‘Better Health’ app actively promotes them when it should be encouraging healthy eating.

A growing body of research has linked ultra-processed food consumption with heart, kidney and liver disease, cancer, depression and early death. As a result, national governments in many corners of the world have adopted mechanisms to help limit their citizens’ intake of these foods.

The UK Government has not followed suit. Despite ultraprocessed foods making up more than half of the average UK diet, with the highest consumption seen in children, these products have been ignored in UK government guidance addressing dietary ill health.

Worse still, recent efforts to help parents and carers choose healthy products for their children have actually encouraged the purchase of ultra-processed food and drink. Its Food Scanner App awards “Good Choice” badges to ultra-processed foods when it should be addressing the risks they present to our health. This is really taking the biscuit!

over

50%

of the UK’s shopping baskets are ultra-processed foods

We have found products encouraging unhealthy snacking, artificially sweetened beverages and even energy drinks were awarded the UK Government’s Good Choice badge and promoted as healthy swaps by its NHS Food Scanner App.

Our campaign calls for UK government action to address the damaging health impacts of ultraprocessed foods on children and struggling families.

So, what are we calling for?

The UK Government needs to catch up with the science and enact a policy response, as other governments globally are doing. It needs to prioritise people over corporate profits, especially in a cost-of-living crisis.

We’re asking UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay to:

Remove the UK Government’s Good Choice badge from ultra-processed products, including on the NHS Food Scanner App

Introduce dietary guidelines to address ultra-processed foods

Introduce a percentage reduction target to reduce ultra-processed food consumption levels in the UK to more healthy levels by 2030

Talk to families about their experience of ultra-processed foods, and work to ensure that healthy foods are more accessible and affordable

of children’s diets are ultraprocessed

If you haven’t already, we’d love you to join us in calling for action to address ultra-processed diets. You can do this by writing to your local MP urging Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay to take action.

With your help we can re-balance the UK diet away from ultraprocessed foods and address the many health related issues their over-consumption causes.

To get involved, go to soilassociation.co/takingthebiscuit

Can you help give pigs a better life?

Confined. Distressed. Diseased. Life shouldn’t be this miserable for pigs.

Every day, millions of pigs around the world are kept inside in noisy, confined spaces, where their natural instincts to root and forage are severely constrained.

And because we import so much cheap meat from abroad, there is a continued pressure for many UK farmers to use more intensive systems in order to compete.

We’re determined to help farmers move towards a kinder, nature-friendly way of farming. One where pigs are free to live happier, healthier lives. With your support today, together we can help farmers move to higher welfare ways of pig farming.

Help end intensive farming

Intensive farming is harmful to pigs in so many ways. Stressed pigs can develop behavioural problems like tail-biting – as a result, many suffer the pain of having their tails docked and their teeth clipped.

Sows are forced to give birth in farrowing crates that are so cramped, they can’t turn around or care properly for their young. Close confinement also means life-threatening diseases spread more easily among pigs, leading to the over-use of antibiotics and contributing to antibiotic resistance in both animals and humans.

You can transform pigs’ lives

The Soil Association is helping farmers move to organic and more nature-friendly ways of farming, and campaigning to stop cheap imports of pork from countries with poor animal welfare standards.

All of these problems disappear when pigs are farmed in a naturefriendly way. On an organic farm, pigs can root and forage happily outside. More space means less stress, so painful practices like taildocking just aren’t necessary.

Sows have room to build comfy nests and give birth in a more natural environment. And because pigs live in smaller groups with plenty of space, fewer diseases spread that require the use of antibiotics.

If you want to see a world where pigs are free to roam and live happier, healthier lives, please support us with a gift today. Your kind gift will help us:

1. Support farmers to move towards more nature-friendly and organic ways of farming pigs.

2. Enable farmers to plant more trees and shrubs that support the soil and encourage pigs to root.

3. Help us tackle the dangerous rise in antibiotic resistance in intensive farming units.

Together, we can help pigs live happier, healthier lives in balance with nature.

Wildfarmed uses regenerative approaches and modern technology to improve farm biodiversity and soil health

Can innovation unlock an agroecological farming future?

The Soil Association believes that nature-friendly farming needs to be at the heart of innovation for food and farming, not in the margins as it has been in the past. Our annual Peter Melchett Memorial lecture challenged orthodoxy and stimulated fresh thinking on the causes Peter cared about so passionately.

This year, the lecture focused on the question, ‘Can innovation unlock an agroecological farming future?’

Our keynote speaker was none other than Andy Cato, music legend and one half of the band Groove Armada, turned farming innovator. Andy was joined by

Soil Association Chief Executive, Helen Browning OBE, and Joseph Gridley, Director of the new digital platform Soil Association Exchange.

In his inspiring talk, Andy shared how his interest in organic agriculture became a passion and led to him

selling his music rights to buy a farm –much to his wife’s dismay!

After reading about the dire state of modern food production, the Grammy nominated musician spent over a decade trying to find a more restorative and sustainable way of growing food. The process wasn’t easy, and Andy faced many challenges over the years, including learning how to plough with horses (and a GPS!), and overcoming his emotions when taking his first cattle to slaughter.

Andy began his journey into farming in France, where he was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole – the equivalent of a knighthood for services to agriculture. But now that he’s back on British soil, he is not only a farmer but also co-founder of Wildfarmed.

Wildfarmed was officially launched in 2018 by Andy Cato, Edd Lees and George Lamb as a fully transparent supply chain empowering farmers, food businesses and consumers to be a part of the solution to the climate crisis.

Its mission is to create a market for farmers that rewards quality rather than quantity – quality of their crops, soils and ecosystems.

All of Wildfarmed’s wheat is grown without the use of pesticides, in a system that prioritises soil health, increasing soil biodiversity, drawing carbon from the atmosphere and producing nutrient-dense food.

Methods used by Andy have now been adopted and developed by leading lights of the UK’s regenerative movement, across the country, from Northumberland down to Cornwall.

The Wildfarmed Growers’ Community now supports more than 40 farmers –both conventional and organic – to innovate and trial new agroecological practices and technology by giving them secure routes to market for their crops.

Andy’s journey demonstrates how far we’ve come in the organic movement in recent years, with opportunities available for farmers to use naturefriendly farming practices in a supportive environment and sell their quality produce to consumers for an accessible price.

Thank you to all our members who attended the lecture, either in-person or online – we hope you enjoyed it! For those of you who weren’t able to make it, Andy’s fascinating story is available to watch online now at soilassociation.co/pmml.

Image credit: Deloitte.

Lord Peter Melchett was our Soil Association Policy Director for 17 years and died on his beloved organic farm in Norfolk in August 2018. He had been a tireless champion for the environment over decades, including as Director of Greenpeace.

Accessibility in farming

Grown Green a growing success story

Kate Collyns has always been interested in growing. One of her favourite childhood memories is of digging for potatoes in her grandmother’s garden, an experience she recalls being as exciting as hunting for treasure. This was always followed by a meal of gardengrown mashed potato, runner beans and gravy.

After an initial career in publishing, Kate decided that her future lay in a different field. With little direct experience of growing, she sought to equip herself with the skills needed to transition to a career in horticulture.

Following a two-year Soil Association Horticultural Apprenticeship, Kate set up Grown Green in 2011, an organic market garden based on Hartley Farm in Wiltshire. Here, Kate grows over 100

varieties of vegetables, herbs, salads and flowers every year following the Soil Association’s organic standards.

Produce is grown year-round in polytunnels as well as in the field and herb beds, and Kate sells the majority of her produce directly to Hartley Farm from which she rents the land. The produce is sold in their farm shop and also used in their café.

For many, it seems almost impossible to achieve their dreams of becoming a farmer or grower, especially as a woman. As part of the Soil Association’s quest to make farming more accessible for everyone, we visited Kate on her plot to hear her story on entering the industry:

How difficult would you say it is to get into farming, particularly as a woman?

Getting into farming and growing is quite tricky for anyone who doesn’t come from a farming background. One of the issues is a lack of visibility and accessibility in the sector: in the past, schools didn’t really talk about farming and growing as a credible career path.

This is changing, and growing is such an inclusive world. About 50% of the young growers I’m seeing coming into the industry are female.

But there are barriers for certain body types, which can affect women. Tractor seats often have weight restrictions to prevent children from driving them, but as a petite woman I often have to jump around on the seat to get it to start! Farming clothing and accessories are also often designed for men and it’s difficult to find clothing for smaller forms.

Do you have any advice for others looking to transition into growing?

I was lucky enough to do an apprenticeship with the Soil Association, but there are lots of other ways to gain skills!

Many other providers offer training and qualifications for land-based industries like farming, and if that’s not possible you can even ask local farms to take you on as a volunteer or part-time worker to build your skillset. There are lots of ways to do it, and lots of tools online to find opportunities.

Once you’ve gained the skills you need to start your own business, I’d always recommend starting small. I rent this two-acre plot from a larger farm, and it’s allowed me to build up my knowledge and equipment at my own pace. I have now taken on another field in the area and am looking forward to growing the business!

Kate’s top tip:

Don’t be afraid to be messy! It’s often better not to tidy things away too soon or too much. Let your plants go a bit wild and leave them in the ground for as long as possible. This protects the soil and encourages a variety of species of wildlife, like the parasitic wasps which reduce pest populations and protect your crops!

Why did you choose to grow organically?

The more I grow, the more I’m learning about soil, nature, and the planet. Growing organically just feels like the right thing to do, and it’s given me real purpose. By providing fresh healthy food for the local community, we’re cutting down on food miles. Organic also helps the wider environment by sequestering carbon and providing space for wildlife.

For more details on Grown Green, go to: growngreen.wordpress.com

CLIMATE SOLUTIONS MASTERS DEGREES

MSc Sustainability and Adaptation

MSc Sustainability in Energy Provision and Demand Management

MSc Green Building

MSc Sustainability and Behaviour Change

MSc Sustainable Food and Natural Resources

MSc Sustainability and Ecology

MArch Sustainable Architecture

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Striking a balance for biodiversity

Strathspey Estate is a varied landscape in Scotland that has held the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) forest management certification for more than 20 years.

The 14,200 acre estate is comprised of ancient Caledonian pinewoods, forest plantations, heather moors and a section of the Dunlain river, and surely can’t be bettered. But managing this landscape year-round and balancing the needs of the many species that call this land home isn’t easy.

The land is home to a diverse range of species, from red grouse to skylark, mountain hare to white-tailed sea eagle. Woodland cover in Scotland declined to an all-time low following the First World War, but here we can see remnants of natural forest, dominated by Scots pine, supporting species that rely heavily on this habitat, including the endangered Capercaillie. The estate, so altered over centuries by human hand, and now devoid of apex predators, is vulnerable to change and must be managed carefully.

The estate is certified under the forest management group Tilhill by Soil Association Certification, who are accredited to audit and administer

continued overleaf

forestry certification on behalf of the FSC. Forests are required to meet independently verified standards that take social, environmental and sustainable business practices into account, ensuring that the health of the land is maintained and managed correctly.

The Capercaillie, a large woodland grouse, is one of the species most under threat. Reintroduced in the 19th century after becoming extinct in Scotland in the 18th century, it is once again at serious risk of disappearing from our woodlands due to predation and human disturbance. Strathspey has the largest concentration of leks (mating displays) in Scotland, but the population is contracting to this last stronghold.

But with much of UK wildlife under threat, and many species protected

Soil Association Certification has certified over 26 million hectares of forest across 38 countries!

accordingly, one or more threatened species may fight it out for survival. Take pine martens who, like Capercaillie, are a protected species in the UK – they are thriving in this part of Scotland but this is thanks in part to a diet of Capercaillie eggs!

The estate team do their best to improve the habitat they have for Capercaillie. Thinning the forest has improved habitat structure, providing a mix of open canopy areas to allow growth of the understory, especially blaeberry, needed to provide the insect diet of the chicks, and dense areas that provide cover. Enabling wildlife to access the range of habitats required to successfully complete its life cycle is key – the scale of the estate and the mosaic of landscapes it provides allows for flexibility and a large-scale approach to its management.

Juniper – not just for gin!

Juniper berries are used as a flavouring for food and drink. But in the regenerating Caledonian pine forests, they have another use –protecting young trees.

Browsing deer can easily eat tender saplings, but on Strathspey Estate they are experimenting with planting a small number of native hardwoods amongst the established juniper bushes – which offer protection until they grow robust.

Once prized predominantly for its hunting potential, much of the estate’s work still focuses on deer management, systematically reducing and maintaining deer numbers, in the absence of apex predators, in order to support natural forest regeneration and strike a biodiverse balance. The estate values the deer as an important part of the habitat and managing it at an appropriate level is challenging but vital to protect the rest of the ecosystem.

Deer fencing can be used to keep them out of vulnerable areas, but it’s a problem for Capercaillie, who can be killed if they fly into it – every action has an impact, everything is linked. Instead, on Strathspey Estate the use of fencing is minimised, and the fencing that is used is made more apparent to the birds using wooden markers.

Capercaillie

Diet: Berries, shoots, stems

Natural habitat: Woodland

Migratory: No

Estimated population: 1,100 birds

Breeding habits: Male Capercaillie put on a display called a ‘lek’

Status: UK red list species

(RSPB, Scottish Wildlife Trust)

The deer are constantly moved around the estate, much as they would be by a natural predator, to reduce damage from browsing.

The delicate balance found on Strathspey Estate highlights the importance of good forest management in allowing endangered species to thrive. The stewards view the requirements of the FSC certification as just another part of their day-to-day management, providing new and different perspectives, and encouraging the team to question their approaches to ensure that they are protecting the forest for years to come.

This article was adapted from a piece published by FSC UK.

FSC Licence Code: A000525

Spring 2023

Notes from the farm...

Sally Morgan is back with an update from Empire Farm in Somerset, chatting about her fruit trees and why she’s choosing to opt for more varieties.

The topsy turvy weather of 2022 really made us focus on climate change and how it affects food and farming. Here in South Somerset, we saw temperatures soar to almost 40°C in summer, but after a mild and wet autumn, winter temperatures plummeted to -10°C and remained on the chilly side for weeks, so a huge temperature range for plants to cope with.

But there is one group of plants on the farm that were very happy about the weeks of near freezing temperatures and that’s our top fruits like apples and pears.

Fruit trees need a certain number of chill hours each winter before opening their buds, that’s hours when the temperature around the trees is at 7°C or below. The chill hour requirement prevents fruit trees opening their buds too early, after a spell of mild weather in February for example.

Most UK trees have a chill hour requirement of around 1,000 hours, but what happens if we experience a mild winter with few frosts? The trees get very confused – some buds open, others don’t, and flowering is poor as is the harvest.

Fruit trees vary in their chill requirement. Growers based in warmer climes, such as California and southern Europe, opt for low chill varieties. In my new orchard on the farm, planted over the last six years, I have been looking for varieties with a lower chill hour requirement because I am betting that the frequency of cold winters will decrease.

Amongst the apple varieties with a low chill requirement are Bramley, Spartan and Gala. In the past, I would have opted for local and regional Somerset varieties, but this time I looked south and included some French varieties that have a lower chill hour requirement, plus some Asian (Nashi) pears. Of course, if you live further north in the UK, increasingly warmer temperatures mean that you can grow varieties previously more suited to the southern counties.

A fruit tree is a considerable investment, taking 8-10 years to reach its full potential, so it’s important to think ahead to what the temperatures may be like in 10 years’ time and choose the variety accordingly. If you have the space, it’s also good to opt for diversity in your planting to increase resilience to whatever the weather may throw at us in the future.

Apple varieties with low chill requirement are Bramley, Spartan and Gala Sally

Sally is editor of Organic Farming magazine and co-author of The Climate Change Garden published by Quarto.

The benefits of no-dig

Many of you will have heard of no-dig gardening, a method that has gained popularity in recent years and has a lot to offer for soil health and those that depend on it. It’s an organic way of growing plants, and the principle is simple: leave the ground as undisturbed as possible and you’ll end up with fewer pests, heathier plants and a healthy vibrant soil community.

Why is it beneficial?

Rather than digging the soil to remove weeds, the no-dig method promotes adding garden compost or manure to the surface of the soil. This emulates the natural processes in an ecosystem, as leaves fall to the ground, break down and are incorporated into the soil.

The structure of the soil is also maintained, leaving worms and other soil-dwelling organisms undisturbed and the ecosystem intact.

What’s more, it’s a great option for gardeners who don’t have time to dig over beds and borders – let the soil work its magic!

What are mycorrhizae and how to look after them?

You may sometimes see white strands within the soil. These are likely to be mycorrhizal fungi which are safe and beneficial. Most plant roots team up with fungal networks, working in partnership – the fungi feed off sugars from the roots whilst the plant uses the expansive fungal network to receive nutrients and water beyond its own catchment. These delicate networks are doomed to die if the soil is turned, particularly as the fungi can’t tolerate exposure to the air.

Top tip:

You will need access to plenty of mulch and compost as weeds are kept at bay by being constantly covered.

How? Doesn’t it take ages?

In fact, the opposite is true. Once setup, a no-dig system can be incredibly time efficient. This is because, in the long run, you will need to spend much less time digging and weeding. No-dig works on the principle that healthy, covered soils are less weedy because weeds are most present in soil that needs healing.

Getting started

If you’d like to convert your lawn into a veg patch then Charles Dowding, a nodig expert, suggests starting by covering grass with cardboard then adding a thick layer of compost. Use brown sheets of cardboard with minimal ink and remove metal clips and tape. Plant into the top of your compost and mulch around your plants. Over time the soil will become a haven for worms which will help to loosen the soil and keep it aerated.

No-dig and woodchip go hand in hand. Woodchip is highly versatile, lining pathways, mulching beds and if composted well it can even be used to propagate plants. I would recommend not digging woodchip in – worms and other organisms will do the work for you without disturbing the soil.

Ben Raskin, Soil Association’s Head of Horticulture

A week in the life of

Sarah Compson

My day-to-day role involves overseeing the strategic direction of our standards – the ones we’re most well-known for are our organic standards. These set an ambitious baseline for what organic farmers, food processors, textile manufacturers and cosmetic makers (and everyone in between!) need to do to call themselves ‘organic’.

This past week I’ve been in Germany for a series of inspiring meetings and events shaping the future direction of the organic movement worldwide. I’ve learned about the latest innovations, participated in global discussions, and met with change makers from around the world who are driving change in their communities and countries – it’s been a whirlwind!

I started off last week in Bonn with a meeting of the IFOAM Organics International World Board, which I’m part of. The Board’s role is to develop recommendations that help to further the adoption of organic practices, including defining the benchmark for organic standards and innovating new systems that put farmers and communities at the heart of projects to successfully scale organic.

It’s always wonderful and humbling to remember that the Soil Association is just one of the change-making organisations doing great work worldwide.

Next, on to Nuremberg for Biofach which is the world’s largest organic trade fair. As well as thousands of businesses and visitors, Biofach also hosts a conference where the organic community meets to discuss the burning issues of the day.

I moderated two sessions – one on why it’s important to look beyond carbon to address the climate crisis. The second was about the relationship between organic and regenerative farming, with a clear call to avoid greenwashing and be bolder when sharing the benefits of organic.

I am honoured to be part of the team helping to mobilise and connect the worldwide community.

Hello, my name is Sarah Compson and I’m Associate Director for Standards Innovation. I first joined the Soil Association 17 years ago as a volunteer and still feel as committed to and passionate about the work we do now as I did then!

I also co-moderated a session on the global organic market which came with good news – there are 3.7 million organic farmers worldwide who are actively contributing to a more sustainable and resilient world. Definitely something to celebrate!

The German government minister who opened Biofach said,

canteens, such as those in schools and hospitals, in Copenhagen is organic. The lack of widespread support for organic food and farming in the UK can feel a bit bleak, but it’s reassuring to think that we’re an anomaly that just needs to play catch up!

Next was another train journey to Montabaur near Frankfurt for a meeting of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). The Soil Association are one of four owners of GOTS and the standard is having significant impact all over the globe, ensuring that textile products are produced to strict organic standards, with important safeguards for both people and the environment.

The endorsement of organic couldn’t be clearer.

We also heard about ambitious policies from around the world including the fact that 78 per cent of food served in public

After 11 days on the road, I’ll be happy when my train pulls into the station back in Bristol. But whilst the travel is tiring, I can’t help feeling energised by all the people I’ve met and all the work we’re leading and contributing to that’s making a real difference.

Organic is the decisive response to the climate and biodiversity crises and those with a different view should go to the opticians.

organic farmers worldwide who are actively contributing to a more sustainable and resilient world

There are 3.7million

Trustee appointments

The Soil Association is delighted to welcome Lauren Branston, Richard Allan, and Dr Tony Balance to the Soil Association Charity as trustees.

The Board of Trustees is ultimately accountable for the performance of the Charity. Although day to day leadership is delegated to the Charity’s senior management team, it is the Trustees who must ensure the Charity is working well, financially secure and delivering its charitable aims.

Chair of Trustees, Martin Nye said:

“I’m delighted to welcome Lauren, Richard, and Tony as new trustees. They all have impressive and highly relevant experience, combined with the energy and commitment needed to support the Soil Association and our vital work.”

Lauren Branston

Lauren leads a sustainability strategy and communications advisory company, working with businesses, brands and not-for-profits. She has experience in a wide range of sectors including consumer goods, food & drink, renewable energy, technology, professional services and not for profit.

Lauren has always been passionate about the environment, influenced by her childhood spent growing up in the Gower (in South Wales). She went to University College London to study Ecology and worked in communications and environmental management consultancies.

As a member of the executive team of The Coca-Cola Company (UK&I) she led sustainability and communications for nine years, before setting up her consultancy in 2013. She has won numerous awards for her communications and sustainability work and was a non-executive director for the Sustainable Restaurant Association.

Richard Allan

Richard Allan lives with his wife on a small family farm in West Wiltshire. It is a grassbased livestock farm, currently participating in a number of funded biodiversity schemes, including re-establishing a network of connected wetlands and planting rotational wood pasture.

Alongside farming, Richard has worked for a short spell as a botanist, then in the military, and for the last 20 years in industry. He is a qualified solicitor and currently works as General Counsel for a FTSE Green Economy manufacturing company that is addressing the need to accelerate the move towards carbon neutrality.

A biologist by training, Richard has a particular interest in the challenges and opportunities presented by the move to carbon neutrality and the greater focus on restoring biodiversity – and the potential opportunity they offer for the organic movement, and for agroecology more generally, to rebalance land use and management in the UK.

Richard is the trustee representative on the Soil Association’s Farmer & Grower Board.

Dr Tony Ballance

Tony is a senior board level strategist working in the utility and environmental sectors, with over twenty years’ experience in senior corporate, consultancy and regulatory roles.

He is currently Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer at Cadent Gas – the largest of the UK’s gas distribution businesses – where he leads the company’s decarbonisation strategy – as

well as its regulatory, sustainability and corporate affairs teams. Prior to this Tony was Director of Strategy & Regulation at Severn Trent plc where he performed a very similar role and was on the Board for eight years.

Tony has previously worked as an economic consultant in the utilities sector, as well as Chief Economist of the water sector regulator Ofwat. He is a Council Member of the Regulatory Policy Institute; a Board Member of the CBI’s Decarbonisation Council; and until very recently was a trustee on the Board of the National Forest Company.

Farming for Good

Belmont is a regenerative estate located just a stone’s throw from Bristol and has been owned by the Rossiter family since 2012.

Over the last 10 years, the family have been managing the estate in a way that regenerates the land, encourages biodiversity and works with their local community to reconnect people with nature.

Belmont has had a close relationship with the Soil Association for many years and owners Tamsin and Bill Rossiter have been members of the Soil Association for even longer, providing valuable support to the charity!

Tamsin said, “I’ve been a member of the Soil Association for around 35 years! I have always been fascinated by food, nature and the outdoors. But, after facing health issues in my late teens, I started to look more deeply into food and how it was grown. The Soil Association has inspired us to farm organically here on the estate and their ongoing research continues to influence how we farm today.”

Belmont moves their Red Ruby Devon cattle and Exmoor Horn sheep around the fields all year round, choosing not to house their livestock or provide supplementary feed, and instead encouraging them to graze on what naturally grows around them. This constant cycle of grazing also removes the need to plough the fields, reducing carbon losses and helping to combat climate change.

Belmont Estate regenerates the land, encourages biodiversity and works with the local community

This approach, combined with their organic methods, allows them to build soil fertility and enjoy significant biodiversity benefits, including the return of critical species such as the Yellow Meadow Ant and the myriad of animals that feed upon them.

But their forward-thinking approach to land management extends beyond farming, Belmont is passionate about broadening their understanding of what it means to be productive – working as part of the natural world to bring value to their local community and wildlife.

Their free nature-based education programme invites local children and young people to visit their rewilding project to be inspired by the natural world, kindling a powerful connection with nature in the decision-makers of the future.

The estate also works with a range of corporate partners, inspiring business leaders to take a sustainable approach to business and commerce by contributing to nature recovery and community education.

To learn more about the wonderful projects taking place at Belmont, or to purchase organic meat reared on the estate, go to www.belmont.estate

The Soil Association has inspired us to farm organically here on the estate and their ongoing research continues to influence how we farm today.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients – Serves 4

• Olive oil

• 1 large organic onion, finely chopped

• 2 organic garlic cloves, minced

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves picked and finely chopped (or blitzed)

• 500g organic beef mince

• 200g organic mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 400g tin organic chopped tomatoes

• 1 tbsp fennel seeds

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 tbsp organic tomato purée

Method

1 2 3 4

Put a large casserole dish on the hob on a medium heat and add a glug of olive oil.

Add the onions and the minced garlic, then fry for 10 mins until it softens and browns.

Add the beef mince (break up if needed) and cook, stirring for 3-4 mins until the meat is browned all over.

Add the mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, fennel seeds, smoked paprika, 2 tbsp tomato purée, Worcester sauce, beef stock, red wine.

Season with salt and pepper. Then mix together and cover with

• 6 dashes of Worcester sauce

• 500ml strong organic beef stock

• 187ml red wine (mini bottle)

To season and serve

• Organic parmesan grated, plus extra to serve

• Organic spaghetti

• Salt

• Cracked black pepper

• Basil leaves for garnish (optional)

5 6

the lid left slightly off to allow to “breathe”. Cook for 2 hrs+, stirring occasionally until the mix thickens. When the bolognese is nearly finished, cook your spaghetti following the pack instructions. Drain the spaghetti and either stir into the bolognese sauce or serve the sauce on top. Serve with grated parmesan, cracked black pepper and garnish with basil leaves.

To purchase organic, free-range Belmont produce, visit www.shop.belmont.estate

Book Club

The Meat Paradox – Rob Percival

How will we eat a decade from now, or even a century? Will we be eating meat?

These are just some of the questions answered by Soil Association’s own Head of Food Policy, Rob Percival, in his new book The Meat Paradox.

In recent years, the consumption of meat has stirred fierce debate between the omnivores and the herbivores. Farmers will argue that we need to consume meat to survive, while vegans will say that the killing of animals for meat is unnecessary and barbaric. But it hasn’t always been this way.

The Meat Paradox delves into the origins of our complicated relationship with meat, asking when our relationship with meat first became emotionally and ethically complicated.

Long ago, we were much like the fox or the bear. We ate the foods that were available to us – animal and plant – and if those foods were nourishing, then they were good. But something changed.

Our ancestors evolved a heightened capacity for compassion. We began to feel remorse for the animals we killed. Meat was nourishing, but it was also morally conflicting. We evolved to become the most peculiar of creatures: a predator inclined to empathise with its prey

The Meat Paradox is a must-read for anyone wondering whether they should or shouldn’t eat meat, or is interested in the psychology behind eating meat and how it’s changed throughout the ages.

If you’re enjoying our book recommendations, or would like to share any book ideas, please do get in touch! We’re always happy to hear from our readers, so please do share any books you’ve read that have changed the way you think about your food and where it comes from.

Email: memb@soilassociation.org

Nominate your favourite organic producer by 14th April

The Nation’s Favourite – we’d like to hear from you

The Best of Organic Market Awards are the UK’s only awards that recognise and celebrate the world of organic.

The aim is to honour those behind the UK’s organic food and farming industry, championing innovation and celebrating those creating exceptional organic products, that work for people, planet, wildlife and the climate.

The Nation’s Favourite is the BOOM Awards’ most high-profile category, giving the Great British public the chance to nominate their favourite organic food and drink product, and shine a light on some amazing organic businesses.

Do you have a favourite product in mind that you’d like to nominate? Go to soilassociation.co/boom to nominate your favourite. Nominations are open until 14th April.