Winter 2020
Living Earth
10 ways you can make a difference this Christmas
Ultra-processed food Bad for climate, nature and our health
Agroforestry The potential for tree-mendous change
g Earth
Welcome to the Winter edition of Livin
of our health has comes from and the importance The awareness of where our food , we have relied on ever than the year. This year, more been discussed daily for most of g and distributing ucin prod inue cont to liers food supp our farmers, growers and local action to took rs orte supp ion many Soil Associat food for us all, which is why so ined in future trade deals. erm und be ld cou s dard stan highlight the risks that British s and reaching n in the soil or reared in the field In a drift away from real food, grow een soil, plants, betw n ectio conn the g losin , we risk our plates in unadulterated form our planet. When and food our of th ntial for the heal animals and people, that is so esse Jeanette Orrey, and r Melchett, along with Lizzie Vann our former Policy Director, Pete 75% target for s itiou amb an put they 3, ramme in 200 founded our Food for Life prog y. This target toda ains rem it food at its heart - where freshly prepared, unprocessed ings every day. sett lic pub in ls mea ion mill and two is achieved by 10,000 schools connections with others ren’s plates can they make real Only with real food on our child food. of ing and cooking and sharing and with nature through the grow to our own health how our diets are linked not only With growing public interest in al Peter Melchett annu ’s year this that ly time was et, it but also to the health of our plan -processed food. ultra on ssed focu ) 22nd October 2020 Memorial lecture (which was on ning to ask: Brow n Hele ol Food Campaigner joined ets? Why Bee Wilson, Food Writer and Scho bask ping shop our over ng taki and why is it th? We heal What is ultra-processed food ary diet our as and nature crises as well does that matter for the climate we continue to work as 6-9 es pag on s tion ques t rtan explore the answers to these impo Peter’s heart. tirelessly on the causes close to g every opportunity to and Brexit looming, we are takin With the year coming to an end have our part to play each we ing future emerges. But ensure that a better food and farm can take to shape you ns actio of ber num a are e ther in making this happen. Right now There is a public n. actio ge chan ate to support clim the future of food and farming and about what we Read to. open that you can respond consultation on pesticide use now ing on page 20. farm dly frien re natu ort on Plan to supp want to see in the National Acti ort and interest. Thanks for your continued supp influencing work possible. and ning paig It makes all our cam
Gareth Morgan
y
Head of Farming & Land Use Polic
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Edited by Gemma Heaysman-Burns
Contact us on: memb@soilassociation.org 0300 330 0022
Issue
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What’s inside this issue P4 Latest impacts & campaign successes What’s been achieved thanks to you P6 Ultra-processed foods Bad for climate, nature and our health P10 For the love of soil The importance of soil health P12 Meet the producer Fantastically farmed turkeys P14 10 ways to have a sustainable Christmas Tips and ideas to encourage positive change P17 Evergreen Insurance Q&A Meeting your insurance needs in an ethical way
P19 Book club New thinking and a classic recommendation P20 Get involved Take action on pesticides P22
Agroforestry The potential for tree-mendous change
P26 Recipe for the season A winter salad perfect for festive leftovers P29 Save the date! Join us at our member event P30 Financial report A summary of our financial performance
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THANK YOU Your donations and actions have achieved all this... YOU'RE
GIVING CHILDREN A HEALTHIER FUTURE We’re delighted that the UK government has responded to our campaign calling for the implementation of three initial recommendations in the National Food Strategy. Marcus Rashford and the alliance of organisations behind the campaign (of which we were a part) have done a fantastic job advocating on behalf of those at risk of hunger and malnutrition, and it is good to know that the Government has been listening. The Scottish and Welsh devolved governments have already laid out their plans and now the UK Government has also promised to support children and families in England by implementing our recommendations to: •
Extend the Holiday Activity and Food programme
•
Increase the value of Healthy Start Vouchers
Despite not accepting the third recommendation, the expansion of eligibility for free school meals, this represents a significant £400m investment in child health.
YOU'RE
ACCELERATING CHANGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU who have generously donated
to our urgent appeal this year. Well before Covid-19, ever increasing numbers of people were starting to recognise the huge role that food, farming and the way we manage land must play in stabilising the climate, reversing the loss of wildlife and soils, and keeping us healthy. Our Grow Back Better manifesto is a new route-map setting out how recovery efforts post Covid-19 must invest in areas that focus on the interconnectedness of the climate, nature and health crises while rebooting the economy. We cannot tackle these crises in isolation and we now need to see a radical and rapid response to the climate, nature and health crises.
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YOU'RE
PROTECTING FOOD AND FARMING STANDARDS THANKS TO YOU, the new Trade and Agriculture
Commission will be placed on a statutory footing. This is down to mounting pressure from both British farmers and citizens alike, including thousands of you, our members. Thank you to those of you who wrote to your MPs and contributed to pressure on the Government.
D FOO R TE NG BET ARMI DS & F DAR N STA
Despite the proposed amendments to the Agriculture Bill being voted down, the Government has conceded that there will be a report to Parliament on how new free trade agreements may affect the UK levels of statutory protection in relation to human, animal and plant life and health, animal welfare and environmental protection. We think this means that Parliament won't automatically get to vote on Trade Deals, and unfortunately equivalent food and farming standards for imports will not be put into law so we will be watching new trade deals closely.
YOU’RE
INSTRUMENTAL IN GROWING THE ORGANIC MARKET Organic September 2020: The results are in – this year’s Organic September was our biggest and best yet! The UK’s campaign for organic food looked a little different this year; Soil Association Certification came together with the Organic Trade Board and organic businesses across the UK, uniting under one organic voice and one message to show that ‘Nature has the answer’. Together, they raised awareness of the role organic farming has to play in helping to resolve our nature, climate and health crises. So many of you took positive actions for people, plants, animals and planet – opting to endorse nature-friendly food by learning more about the amazing benefits of organic farming, growing your own at home, and living in more sustainable ways that are kinder to our planet. As ever thank you for your incredible support. Together we made a world of difference in September 2020.
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Living Earth: Policy
Ultra-processed food: Bad for climate, nature and our health Oliver Merchant-Hall, Supporter Marketing Officer I think we all have a food that we truly crave every now and then. For me it’s a certain brand of corn chips – those salty, crunchy triangles just have me hooked. But there’s a reason I can’t resist them. Like many packaged snacks their texture, consistency and flavour have been engineered to be moreish and downright irresistible. However, the finished product bears little resemblance to the original ingredients, and certainly has few of their nutritional benefits. In fact, many of the ingredients have been through so much processing they’re considered ultra-processed, and the final product is now classed as an Ultra-Processed Food.
Aren’t all foods processed? All the food that we eat has been processed to some degree, whether by chopping, slicing, biting or chewing. Grain is dried and milled to be turned into flour. Vegetables are washed and packed and might be frozen. Fish is tinned and beans are canned. Many processing techniques have been used for centuries to preserve and transform food, making it taste better and last longer. Food processing can support food security and improved nutrition, extending the shelf life of a product, meaning it can be stored or transported more easily. It can make food safer, and many processing techniques (such as cooking) enhance rather than diminish the nutritional quality of foods when eaten. However, in the past half century novel industrial processing techniques have been developed. The concept of ‘ultra-processing’ was introduced by a team of Brazilian scientists in 2009. Their idea was this: that the nature, extent and purpose of food processing shapes
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the relationship between food, health and disease. While there have been previous attempts to classify food types according to their processing level, the Brazilian team’s NOVA system of categorisation, which introduces ‘ultra-processed’ as a food category, has been widely accepted by researchers and governments around the world.
Public health Within five years of this research being published, the Brazilian government took the radical step to recommend that their citizens avoid ultra-processed foods entirely. To combat a steep rise in obesity, the new guidelines urged Brazilians to avoid snacking on packaged salty and sugary confectionary and to return to wholesome home-cooking, to eat with their families and to even teach their children to be ‘wary of all forms of food advertising’. Vitally, the level of processing was itself treated as an issue of public health, a stance no other government has yet matched. However, governments in Uruguay and Canada have changed their dietary guidelines to recommend a shift away from ultra-processed foods, whilst France has introduced a target to reduce their consumption by 20% over three years.
Over half our calories More than half of food sold in the UK is classed as ultra-processed. This year’s Peter Melchett Memorial Lecture – given by food writer and school food campaigner Bee Wilson – focussed on this drift towards a diet based on what has been described as ‘edible food-like substances’. But what really is ultra-processed food, and why does it matter for the climate and nature crises?
Living Earth: Policy
To quote Bee Wilson:
What characterises ultra-processed foods is that they are so altered that it can be hard to recognise the underlying ingredients. These are concoctions of concoctions, engineered from ingredients that are already highly refined, such as cheap vegetable oils, flours, whey proteins and sugars, which are then whipped up into something more appetising with the help of industrial additives such as emulsifiers. Ultra-processed foods now account for more than half of all the calories eaten in the UK and US, and other countries are fast catching up. Ultra-processed foods are now simply part of the flavour of modern life. These foods are convenient, affordable, highly profitable, strongly flavoured, aggressively marketed – and on sale in supermarkets everywhere.
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Living Earth: Policy
80%
of processed food is made from just 3 plants - soy, maize, wheat - and from meat.
Ultra-processed foods & climate change
Reducing ultra-processed food in public settings
Many ready-meals contain ultra-processed ingredients, and research has shown that their production results in 30-50% higher greenhouse gas emissions than home-made meal equivalents, and that is before plastic waste and transportation are taken into account.
Food for Life is our programme where we set standards for the type of food that is served in schools and public settings. There is an ambitious target of 75% freshly prepared, unprocessed food at its heart, and today this is achieved by over 10,000 schools with two million meals served to this standard every day. Only with real food on our children’s plates can they make real connections with others and with nature through the growing, cooking and sharing of food.
To better understand the impact of ultraprocessed food on nature and the climate we need to look beyond comparisons of individual meals and see the impact on the farming system as a whole. Brazil’s ground-breaking dietary guidelines emphasise the intrinsic link between ultraprocessed food and the outputs of intensive monoculture farming systems, which have driven so much biodiversity loss. If shopping baskets continue to be filled with ultra-processed food, our farming system will remain fundamentally about supplying commodity crops to the global market, where only yield and price matter whilst nutritional diversity is lost and the environment is neglected. 80% of processed food is made from just 3 plants - soy, maize, wheat - and from meat. In the UK, farmers receive just 8% of the price of this food, compared to 92% for the processors, value-adders and the retailers. This leaves little room to invest back in the soil and in the ecology of their farms.
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We plan to link arms with other food and health champions and organisations to campaign first to overcome food industry resistance and get this recognised as a public health problem, and secondly to secure national reduction targets in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, with city-level targets possible as stepping stones along the way. That also means placing a priority on policies to make less-processed food more normal and rebuild children’s connections with real food.
Living Earth: Policy
The NOVA system explained The NOVA system of food classification is widely used by the research community and increasingly recognised by national governments. GROUP ONE: UNPROCESSED AND MINIMALLY PROCESSED Unprocessed and minimally processed foods make up 30% of the calories eaten in a typical UK diet.
salted or sugared nuts, tinned fruit in syrup, beer and wine. The main purpose of the processing is to prolong the food’s life or enhance its taste and almost 9% of calories eaten in the UK are from this group.
Unprocessed foods include fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, beans, pulses and natural animal products such as eggs, fish and milk.
GROUP FOUR: ULTRA-PROCESSED Ultra-processed foods usually contain ingredients that you wouldn’t add when cooking homemade food. You may not recognise the names of these ingredients as many will be chemicals, colourings, sweeteners and preservatives. The most commonly eaten ultra-processed foods in the UK are:
Minimally processed foods may have been dried, crushed, roasted, frozen, boiled or pasteurised, but contain no added ingredients. They include frozen fruits and vegetables, frozen fish, pasteurised milk, 100% fruit juice, no-added-sugar yoghurt, spices and dried herbs. GROUP TWO: PROCESSED CULINARY INGREDIENTS Processed culinary ingredients, include oils, fats such as butter, vinegars, sugars and salt. These foods are not meant to be eaten alone, but usually with foods in group one. Around 4% of the calories we eat in the UK comes from this category. GROUP THREE: PROCESSED Processed foods are products that are usually made using a mix of group one and two ingredients. They include smoked and cured meats, cheeses, fresh bread, bacon,
You’re giving children healthier food choices This year for the second year running, our report on children’s food in England - State of the Nation — has made an essential contribution at government level to tackle childhood obesity, pushing for all children to enjoy a healthy, fresh and sustainable diet. We believe children’s food should be a political priority and will continue lobbying the Government to make this happen.
• Industrially-produced bread (11%) • Pre-packaged meals (7.7%) • Breakfast cereals (4.4%) • Sausages and other reconstituted meat products (3.8%) These are closely followed by the expected confectionery (3.5%), biscuits (3.5%), pasties, buns and cakes (3.3%) and industrial chips (2.8%). Soft drinks, fruit drinks and fruit juices make up 2.5% of the average calorie intake. Salty snacks make up 2% of our calories, as do sauces, dressings and gravy (2.1%). (NOVA System source: BBC)
TO YOUR SUPPORT As a member you are helping to make a difference every day. Your support improves the indivisible connections between the health of soil, plants and people. Thank you again for your ongoing support!
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Living Earth: Organic News
For the love of Soil December sees the celebration of World Soil Day! This is the day, held annually on 5 December, that focuses attention on the importance of healthy soil and advocates for the sustainable management of soil resources. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) supported the establishment of a special day as a global awareness platform, and the world celebrated the first World Soil Day in 2014. This year, by addressing the increasing challenges of soil management, the FAO aims to raise awareness of the importance of sustaining healthy ecosystems and human wellbeing. By encouraging people around the world to engage in proactively improving soil health, the campaign also aims to raise the profile of healthy soil. Here at the Soil Association the message of World Soil Day resonates perfectly with our goals, and this year more than ever the topic of soil has come into sharp focus. There is growing awareness of where our food comes from and how it is produced. This has been reflected not just in the explosion in sales of organic food, but culturally too with the release of films like ‘Kiss The Ground’ on Netflix putting soil health squarely in the mainstream.
Soil is essential Soil is essential for life on earth. It is the earth’s living skin we all rely on. One quarter of all known species live within soil. Soils store rain after storms and filter our water. Soils hold more carbon than our atmosphere and vegetation combined.
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As Lady Eve Balfour, founder of the Soil Association said:
The health of soil, plant, animal and man is one and indivisible. But soils are also fragile and declining soil health spells trouble for everyone. When soils are left bare, undernourished and compacted they become more vulnerable to extreme weather. As climate change makes our weather events more volatile, soils are more prone to erosion, being washed downstream or being blown off the fields. This can mean losing years of stored carbon as well as the ability to store more. Degraded soils can mean a drastic reduction in food production too.
Living Earth: Organic News
Policy in action – Living mulch field lab Clive Bailye, partner at TWB Farms in Staffordshire, moved to conservation agriculture 15 years ago. He is one of six farmers who’ve started a field lab looking into whether growing clover under cash crops can reduce or eliminate fertilisers and herbicides, by controlling weeds whilst also fixing nitrogen.
Soil health on our farms The Agriculture Act 2020 became law in November: the UK’s first in over 70 years. The new law is one of a number of post-Brexit laws required to replace EU legislation. It provides the framework for farmers and land managers to receive public money for delivering ‘public goods’, and after a successful campaign by the Soil Association and our partners, protecting and improving the quality of soil features as one of these public goods. Agroecology is sustainable farming that works together with nature. This naturefriendly approach to farming works with wildlife rather than against it, and here at the Soil Association we pride ourselves on finding real, nature-friendly solutions to the issues we all face. As a member you are supporting over 20 active field labs this year that work with farmers to find practical and applicable methods to improve soil health in ways that work with nature.
We have established no-till farming and we’ve stopped using insecticides, so what I’m hoping is that by using this clover understory to build fertility we will build even more healthy soil biology.
Looking ahead to 2021 Whilst we celebrate the successes of 2020 we also look to the challenges we face in the year ahead. 2021 will bring the Environment Bill and there is much work to be done to secure ambitious, legally binding targets for biodiversity, water, air quality, and waste.
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Living Earth: on the ground
Meet the producer Juliet Holt-Wilson is one of many organic farmers working hard this Christmas to put good food on our tables. In her case, it's bronze turkeys; a slow-growing breed raised to the highest welfare-standards at Monmouthshire Turkeys. We sat down with Juliet ahead of the busy Christmas season to talk turkeys, finding out a little more about life on the farm, and why she chooses organic.
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Living Earth: on the ground
Q Tell us about how you got started... My husband Tom and I moved to the farm with our young family five years ago, and have become increasingly involved ever since. While Tom helps during the busy Christmas period, it’s mostly Caroline and myself who do the day to day farming. A mother and daughter-in-law team is a bit unusual, let alone the fact that we're women farmers, but it works well for us.
Q Where do you sell most of your turkeys? While some turkeys are sent out by courier or collected at local farmers' markets, the majority of our 500 birds are collected from the farm. Some customers have been coming for over twenty years to pick up their Christmas turkey.
improve texture. It’s a labour intensive process that's difficult to do on a large scale.
Q How does your organic certification affect the way you raise your turkeys?
Bronze turkeys are a slow growing breed which means the birds can thrive without being propped up by antibiotics. Their environment is also key to their health, with lots of space indoors and out.
Our Soil Association certification not only governs how we treat and feed the turkeys, but also confirms our sustainable approach to the whole farm. The turkeys are fed GM-free organic grain and are not routinely given antibiotics. We have not used chemical fertilisers or pesticides on our fields for twenty years. The farm is teeming with wildlife and wildflowers, which is enjoyable for us and the turkeys.
During the day, the turkeys roam the fields, foraging for food and pecking around the trees and hedges. We sow a patch of peas, barley and wildflowers to provide cover for the young chicks as they first emerge from the sheds, and a later crop for them to forage in the autumn.
Our organic certification also governs our onfarm processing facilities and our packaging materials. The entire process from the way we rear, process and present our turkeys is scrutinised in order to reduce harmful chemicals and promote sustainability.
Then the turkeys are brought in with the help of our sheepdog, Blue, to sleep in airy barns with plenty of places to roost. By giving the birds more space inside and the freedom to roam outside, we don’t have to protect the turkeys from each other. So no beak trimming or removing their snoods.
You can learn more about the Soil Association’s higher animal welfare standards at soilassociation.org/welfare
Q What's different about raising organic turkeys?
The result is a turkey which has the time to develop its unique game-y flavour. We then prepare the birds traditionally. They are game hung to make the most of their flavour and
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Living Earth: Living Well
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ways to have a more sustainable Christmas
With so many of us now seeking to make better choices towards a greener future. This Christmas is a brilliant time to be a part of the movement towards a more sustainable future. From what we eat, to what we wear, where we shop and how we come together to learn about where our food comes from, there are so many ways we can all have a greener Christmas.
Though the festive season this year is set to be very different to what we expected, supporting organic and nature-friendly farming offers a simple, trusted way to make sure we can continue to live more sustainably over Christmas. Here are 10 ways to help encourage positive change and make a difference this Christmas.
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Cut back on festive food waste
Don’t let your leftovers go to waste this Christmas – we have a whole selection of zero-waste festive recipes to try, to ensure that your Christmas dinner is the gift that keeps on giving! Explore festive recipes: soilassociation.org/recipes
1 Eat with the seasons Most of our beloved veg heroes at Christmas, including potatoes, sprouts, carrots, leeks and parsnips, are all in season throughout the winter. Opting for seasonal, organic food means supporting the UK’s nature-friendly farmers, who grow using fewer pesticides, on British farms that support diverse wildlife and healthy, living soils. If you've been growing your own, we'd love to see your harvest - enter the Best in Show competition on our social media channels this December to showcase your winning winter veggies!
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Sign up for our online community
Do we have your email address? When you join our monthly members’ emails, you'll be first to hear about the latest news, tips for sustainable living and what actions you can take to support our campaigns. Get in touch: memb@soilassociation.org
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Support your local independent shops
It’s never been more important to embrace our local independent! Opting to buy food from local farmers and producers in a nearby shop is a great way to show some love for the organic movement in your area this Christmas.
Living Earth: living well
Give the gift of a Soil
5 Association donation
By gifting a Soil Association donation this Christmas, you'll be further supporting our work with farmers to discover nature-friendly solutions, putting more good food on the table in schools and hospitals, and getting in front of Government to demand support for sustainable ways of farming. Give a gift donation this Christmas: soilassociation.org/xmasgiftdonation
Sign a friend up for an
6 organic veg box
Imagine the sight of a box filled with beautiful veg under the tree this Christmas! When you gift a friend or family member a veg box subscription, you’ll be signing them up to an amazing community of citizens, farmers and growers who are making sure the way we farm and eat is better for nature and the climate. Visit soilassociation.org/buy to find one in your area
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Get creative with your gift-wrap and decorations
It’s estimated that each year in Britain, we throw away enough wrapping paper to circle the globe 9 times. Learning inventive ways to wrap your gifts and decorate your home this year really can make a world of difference!
9 Rethink your Christmas gifts Going green over the festive period doesn’t have to mean cutting back on gift giving. Get creative with your gifts and spark some joy this Christmas by enabling a loved one to get growing at home. Have you learnt any new skills in 2020? If you have the time, consider making an up-cycled or homemade gift yourself.
Make an informed choice
7 about your tree
Real vs. fake – the great Christmas tree debate continues! In our view, a real tree that’s been grown with care is the most sustainable choice for Christmas. If you’re looking for a sustainable Christmas tree that’s been grown using fewer pesticides, your best bet is a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) certified, or a Grown In Britain tree. These will have been responsibly managed and grown using a minimal amount of pesticides.
10 Wrap up warm in organic wool and cotton
If you’d like to update your wardrobe this Christmas, but are worried about the impact of fast fashion on the environment, look out for organic wool or cotton. These are two of the most sustainable materials you can buy: organic cotton farmers use natural methods to build healthy soils, save water and combat climate change, and when you see the Soil Association or Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) logo, you can be sure the clothes you're buying are better for the planet, and the people who make them too.
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The magazine for sustainable food and ethical business. Published by The mainstream media cycle can feel exhausting, and it’s hard to pick out the stories that really matter. With our specialist focus on sustainable food and ethical business, Wicked Leeks brings you a carefully curated and edited selection of stories, which you won’t find elsewhere, including: News covering food, farming, climate and the environment. A regular column from organic farmer and Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson, plus other high-profile columnists, authors and new voices. Exclusive interviews and features. Ethical lifestyle inspiration and seasonal recipes.
Join our community:
wickedleeks.com/#join 18
On social #WickedLeeks
A weekly e-newsletter
Quarterly in print
Living Earth: Green Minds
Evergreen Insurance Q&A Evergreen Insurance Services was founded in 2017 by David Gardiner as an opportunity to provide businesses and consumers with the insurance solutions they need, whilst also giving back to support our natural world. Living Earth sat down with David to find out more. Q Where did the idea for Evergreen Insurance Services come from? I have a lifelong passion for our natural world, the animals that we share our planet with and the many other species that make up our habitats and it saddens me to see the constant destruction and cruelty to animals and wildlife. I wanted to do something to help.
Q What’s your motivation? At Evergreen we wanted to do things differently. We are an ethical insurance broker with a focus on customer satisfaction whilst helping our friends in the natural world.
Q Why did you choose to work with the Soil Association? As passionate supporters of many natural, wildlife and conservation charities, we saw an opportunity to help. We forego part of our commission from the insurers yet still provide great insurance products with fantastic customer service. It’s a win, win!
Q How does it work? Evergreen donates up to 25% of their earnings back to the Soil Association, helping to support our vital work. The donation increases every year the insurance is renewed to a maximum
of 25%. Evergreen’s aim is to help with ongoing funding through the arrangement of insurance.
Q You’re award-winning! Yes! We won the Most Ethical Insurance Company Award 2020 from SME News and we were also named Most Ethical Insurance Provider at the Global Corporate Livewire Awards. We had to demonstrate extensive expertise and skills, dedication to customer service and client satisfaction and it’s a real honour to have our work recognised in this way.
Q What kind of insurance cover do you provide? Everyone needs insurance whether it is for businesses or personal needs. From environmental consultancy, food, manufacturing, renewable energy, transportation through to personal homes, cars, holidays, travel, life and pets, Evergreen is here to help.
Q Why should someone choose you over another provider? If you are looking for a more ethical approach to arranging your insurance and prefer the personal touch – good old customer service as it should be. No complicated phone systems just straight forward help with your enquiry with quality experienced team of staff.
To find out more about Evergreen and request your quote then please visit their website www.evergreeninsuranceservices.co.uk or call on 020 3907 1346. 17
Living Earth: Green Minds
Blazing a trail for Organic Growth.
One of our organic calendula fields Some of our award winners
Choose from over 75 products in the largest range of organic supplements. All ethically sourced and Soil Association certified.
18 Available from your Local Health Food Store |
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Living Earth: living well
Book worms Book Club
At Soil HQ, we love a good read and we’ve been running a monthly book club on our social media channels for a year now. We wanted to share a couple of our favourite books that you might like to delve into over the festive season.
Wildwood By Roger Deakin Travel the world from your armchair with this absolute classic of nature writing. Setting off from his home in Suffolk, Deakin embarks upon a quest that takes him across continents in search of humanity’s shared and profound connection with woodland and trees.
Food for Thought By Phil Horton From breakfast to bedtime the food that we eat and the natural world that we all share have the power to nourish our bodies, nurture our growth and support our health, vitality and survival. But are we taking it all for granted? Farmer, educator, Soil Association member and founder of Better Foods, Phil Horton takes you through a fascinating mix of inspiring personal stories, tempting recipes, helpful tips and insightful contributions from 12 thought leaders and changemakers.
Get in touch with your recommendations Do share any books you’ve read that have changed the way you think about your food and where it comes from. memb@soilassociation.org
@soilassociation
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Living Earth: Policy Living Well
GET INVOLVED
It’s time to take action on pesticides Pesticide reduction in farming is a core goal of ours as part of the transition to nature friendly farming. Now a new policy opportunity to shape the future of farming is opening up, with the Government’s refresh of the UK Action Plan on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides. Tweaks are simply not enough. If this year has shown us anything, it is how much we need to improve our resilience and that means transitioning to nature friendly farming. Reducing the risk of pests and disease in the first place, restoring our soils, our wildlife and climate, and prioritising our health, is critical.
ake We need to m all sure this isn’t e talk, let’s com d n together a oices ensure our v d. are not ignore
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We therefore welcome the soon to be launched consultation by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) on the draft of this updated action plan. This provides the chance to ensure it is fit for purpose. The consultation offers an opportunity for everyone who cares about a safe climate, nature and health to have their say.
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LivingLiving Earth: Earth: On the Ground Policy
What do we want to see in the National Action Plan?
50% reduction
We recommend the UK Government sets an ambitious target – taking into account both the amount of pesticide usage and the toxicity. Tackling both is important – to ensure that the most harmful pesticides to human health or the environment are prioritised for reduction and that indirect and poorly understood effects from pesticides are reduced.
In Autumn 2019, alongside PAN UK we asked for a pesticide reduction target in our ‘Cocktail Effect’ report. We want to see the UK target at least match that of the European Union – to reduce by 50% by 2030 which gives ten years to cut pesticide use in half. The UK currently doesn’t have a target to aim for! Last year, many of you took action by signing a letter to demand that Defra take urgent action to reduce both pesticide use and pesticiderelated harms in the UK. This consultation is a great opportunity to rise again and demand lasting change!
on
farm management. Not only does this work towards reversing the current dependence on pesticides, it also delivers other benefits such as healthy soils. Part of this is to ensure that farming subsidies really do shift towards investing in farmers (including organic) to farm in a nature friendly way, as well as ensuring they get the right advice and research to support this. n
An ambitious national pesticide reduction target
5r %oi0 de tcu
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Phase-outs of the use of pesticides in certain areas and those of particular concern, for example:
•T he use of all pesticides in urban settings such as green spaces, pavements and around hospitals and schools. Many towns, cities and boroughs are showing this is possible at a national level. •T he ‘worst’ pesticides that we know are particularly harmful to wildlife and people. Pesticides should be proven to be safe before use, not proven to be damaging afterwards.
This is your opportunity to have a say and make change happen! 2
An emphasis on the growth of a healthy crop, with the least possible disruption to agro-ecosystems and encouragement of natural pest control mechanisms
This should be reflected within the National Action Plan by the inclusion of strong measures for defining, developing and disseminating genuine ‘Integrated Pest Management’ (IPM). By this we mean working with nature using a whole farm approach such as those carried out under organic
Visit soilassociation.org/get-involved for a link to the consultation plus find out about other actions you can take to support nature friendly farming. Do look out for further news in the New Year from us on how you can help by getting involved in the pesticide consultation.
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Living Earth: on the ground
Agroforestry: the potential for tree-mendous change Trees are an essential part of our natural landscape. Their role in protecting the environment is incredibly important – they provide habitats for animals and other plants, they prevent soil erosion and water pollution, and they store carbon. Despite this, the UK has one of the lowest levels of tree cover in Europe. Since the 1950s, trees and hedges have been removed to make way for more intensive farms. Urbanisation has meant that houses and other buildings have encroached onto land that used to be dense with trees and wildlife. The impact of this on our environment is loss of biodiversity, reduction in soil health, and pollution of streams and rivers. What is needed is land that can meet the various demands of food and fuel production, as well as protecting and enhancing biodiversity and soil health. It must also be adaptable and resilient to climate change. This is where agroforestry comes in. Agroforestry is the practice of combining agricultural crops or livestock with trees and shrubs. It is a great example of nature-friendly farming and has been shown to provide many benefits for the environment such as reducing soil erosion and loss of wildlife, at the same time as protecting against the uncertain climate of the future.
Only 3% of the UK’s farmland currently practices agroforestry. We’re working with farmers to achieve our goal of over half of UK farms incorporating agroforestry by 2030.
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Adding trees as a crop not only benefits the environment they’re planted in but can bring the farmer another source of income. Trees with crops are referred to as silvoarable systems – for example, where wheat is grown between rows of apple trees. Systems where trees and animals are together are called silvopastoral – for example, sheep grazing in an orchard. Much like organic farming, the heart of agroforestry is in understanding the symbiosis of nature. Depending on the species, trees can produce timber, wood fuel, nuts or fruit for the farmer to sell. These extra tree crops, combined with the increased fertility and health of the farmland, means that the farm’s total productivity can be much higher than in other, less diverse farm systems. And healthier soil means the farm will be more productive in years to come, too.
Living Earth: on the ground
Apricots and almonds on Eastbrook Farm Helen Browning, our CEO is currently trialling different varieties of tree on her farm near Swindon that will be well suited to the warmer and wetter climate that we can begin to expect as the climate changes. One of the goals is to learn which fruit trees are most - or least compatible with which types of animals. Some tree varieties may be more or less successful than others - but the key is experimenting to find out what is possible. Find out more soilassociation.org/eastbrookagroforestry With the increase of important soil organic matter found in agroforestry systems, you also find more life in the soil. At an experimental farm in Buckinghamshire, they grew rows of poplar trees, with an arable rotation in between the rows. In soil samples that were taken close to the trees, there was more soil organic matter, with lots more important soil arthropods. There were much lower levels in the crop alleys that were frequently cultivated, with lower leaf mulch levels, and fewer tree roots.
In another agroforestry system –Tolhurst Organics near Reading – where they combine trees and organic vegetable production, we found that earthworm numbers underneath the trees were four times higher than in the soil in the vegetable alleys. So why isn’t every farmer doing this? Unlike most typical crops, trees of any variety can take years to mature, which means it can take a similarly long time to see a return on investment. So growing almonds or other nuts is not always feasible for farmers, especially for tenant farmers with shorter leases. An almond tree can take 5 – 12 years to grow! Despite the clear benefits of planting trees on farms – to the environment, to wildlife and to farmers – agroforestry has not yet been widely adopted. To make its benefits known, we must work together to do research, exchange knowledge, and influence the people in charge, particularly in a post-Brexit world where the future of agricultural policy is uncertain. The good news is that the number of agroforestry systems being introduced is growing and the knowledge base is steadily increasing.
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Living Earth: on the ground
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Living Earth: on the ground
Watch our short agroforestry documentary to see this in action: soilassociation.org/agroforestry With support from you, we’ve already helped plant thousands more trees on farms. As part of the pan European project FABulous Farmers, Soil Association is supporting farmers and growers to transition towards nature friendly farming practices like agroforestry.
You’re championing agroforestry on more farmland - tackling climate change, creating homes for wildlife and helping farmers be more productive. Discover more about agroforestry: soilassociation.org/agroforestry and how you’re supporting this journey towards a more sustainable future.
Fallen autumn leaves provide an additional source of nutrients for soil, helping enhance soil biodiversity, encouraging soil formation and helping to mitigate agricultural carbon emissions by sequestering them in soil. Wildlife also benefits from agroforestry, as trees expand the habitat available to pollinators, birds and other animals that take refuge in the branches of trees or feast on the nectar of spring and summer blossoms.
25
Living Earth: Living well
Festive winter salad Whilst there is so much uncertainty around how the festive season will play out this year, we can at least be sure that we’re going to want to eat well! In that spirit I hope you enjoy this winter salad from Joey O'Hare using seasonal favourites such as Brussels sprouts and chestnuts. It makes a delicious light lunch or the perfect side salad to accompany any leftover Christmas turkey or nut roast. Joey O'Hare is a professional chef and food writer. Since learning to cook at Ballymaloe, a working biodynamic farm in Ireland, she has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants, run a successful veg-centric supper club and reached the quarter finals of Masterchef the Professionals.
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Living Earth: Living Well
Ingredients: For the salad:
For the red wine vinaigrette:
• 150g buckwheat groats, pre-soaked for 1 hour • 400g Brussels sprouts • 60g walnuts, de-shelled • 60g chestnuts, cooked & peeled • 6 medjool dates (or 80g sultanas) • 30ml red wine vinegar • 30ml water • 30g fresh parsley • 2 endive • pinch sea salt
• 30ml red wine vinegar • 30ml extra virgin olive oil • 10g runny honey • pinch sea salt
Method Serves 4 people as a side or light meal Time: 15 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking
1
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
8
Drain the sprouts and once cool enough to handle, quarter the sprouts and allow them to dry out further.
9
Drain the buckwheat and spread out on some kitchen paper to dry thoroughly to ensure your salad is light and fluffy.
For the red wine vinaigrette:
2
Simply whisk together all the dressing ingredients, or shake in a sealed jam jar until combined.
For the salad:
3
Toast the walnuts and chestnuts in the preheated oven for 8 minutes until smelling nutty and delicious. Once cool, coarsely chop and leave to one side.
10
Slice the dates, chop the parsley, and part the endive leaves.
11
Bring the red wine vinegar and water up to the boil in a small saucepan and thrown in the chopped dates or sultanas; these will swell and pickle almost instantly.
4
Tip the soaked buckwheat into a sieve and rinse under running water.
5
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Once boiling whisk in the buckwheat and cook gently for 12-14 minutes until tender. If you are using an alternative grain, follow the instructions on the packet.
12
In a large serving bowl combine the buckwheat, sprouts, toasted nuts, pickled dates/sultanas, parsley, and prepped endive, and toss all the ingredients together gently with the salad dressing.
6
Bring a second saucepan of salted water to the boil for the brussels sprouts.
13
7
Trim the base of each sprout and remove any tough or discoloured outer leaves. Blanch the sprouts in the boiling water for 4 minutes.
Taste for seasoning; if you fancy an additional splash of dressing use the left-over pickling liquid from the dates/sultanas.
27
Living Earth: Financial Report
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Living Earth: AGM
Grow better together: What will 2021 bring for climate, nature and health? SAVE THE DATE: Thursday 21 January 2021 at 17:30-18:45
arks the Soil m r Next yea 75th birthday! tion's a i c o Ass
And as we commence our 75-year celebrations, we’d love to get together with you (albeit virtually!) to talk to you about plans for the year ahead. As well as hear directly from you, about what you’d like to see from us during our 75th year. The Climate Coalition will be joining us to give us an overview of plans for climate action next year around COP26 and how we can all get involved in the lead up to November 2021. We will of course be updating you on our work over the past year, our plans for the future and giving you, our members, an opportunity to ask questions. Before the event, we’ll be in touch with those able to join us to ask you to send in questions in advance.
This will be a virtual event using an online conference platform. We do hope, however, that we will be able to see you all, in person at our Annual General Meeting in September 2021. More details of this will follow in your Spring members’ magazine. Please register for this event at: soilassociation.org/memberevents
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Living Earth: Financial Report
Report into the charity’s financial performance for 2019/20 This is a summary of the Charity’s financial performance taken from the 2019/20 audited statutory accounts of The Soil Association Limited. Full copies of The Soil Association Charity and Consolidated Group Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March 2020 are available on request from the Soil Association or can be accessed on soilassociation.org/accounts or the website of The Charity Commission and Companies House.
2019/2020 Charity Finances
Unrestricted Funds £’000
Restricted Funds £’000
Total 2019/20 £’000
Total 2018/19 £’000
614
190
804
810
Incoming resources Donations Legacies
155
-
155
143
Membership subscriptions
752
-
752
764
Grants Contract income Income from trading subsidiaries Other Total incoming resources
-
2,166
2,166
5,065
1,805
-
1,805
1,907
673
-
673
492
25
-
25
27
4,024
2,356
6,380
9,208
Resources expended Farming and land use transition
(1,326)
(1,181)
(2,507)
(2,373)
Healthy and sustainable diet
(1,911)
(2,901)
(4,812)
(4,543)
Raising funds Total resources expended
Net incoming resources – before other gains/(losses)
(5)
(527)
(521)
(4,087)
(7,846)
(7,437)
265
(1,731)
(1,466)
1,771
Gains/(losses) on investments
(17)
-
(17)
1
Net incoming resources for the year
248
(1,731)
(1,483)
1,772
2,479
5,118
7,597
5,825
248
(1,731)
(1,483)
1,772
2,727
3,387
6,114
7,597
Total funds bought forward Net incoming resources for the year Total funds carried forward
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(522) (3,759)
Living Earth: Financial Report
Income received by the Charity is classified as unrestricted or restricted funds. Unrestricted funds are those that charity trustees may spend as they see fit in the delivery of the Charity’s objectives. Restricted funds are those that must be spent according to the funder’s direction in delivery of the Charity’s objectives. Charitable giving from individual supporters through donations, legacies and memberships totalled £1,711k matching the amount received in the prior financial year.
We have continued to invest in growing our supporter base who through generous regular giving provide the Charity with a vital source of unrestricted funds. Restricted grant funding received in the year is reported as £2,899k lower than the prior financial year. Such grants are often awarded for multi-year projects and accounting rules dictate charities recognise the entire value of the grant in the year of award unless there are clear performance criteria upon which funding in future years is dependent. This accounting requirement often leads to the income and expenditure of multiyear grants being recognised in different financial years, distorting comparison across financial year. Major grant awards secured in 2019/20 include: £5,433k from the National Lottery Community Fund and Esmee Fairburn Foundation for a 5-year extension of our Sustainable Food Places programme and important contributions to funding our policy work were received from the Samworth Foundation (£195k) the Ashden Trust (£125k). Income earned by providing contract and consultancy services into the public and private sectors fell by just over £100k. These revenues are principally associated with our Food for Life work commissioned by local authorities, our Food for Life Served Here scheme used in the catering sector and a significant contract with the Scottish Government to facilitate farmerled innovation.
Income received from the Charity’s trading subsidiaries, most notably Soil Association Certification Limited but also SA Sales and Services Limited increased by £181k to £673k. The certification business increased turnover by 7% compared to the prior financial year with strong performance in forestry and organic food sectors, contributing profits of £191k for the Charity. Expenditure within the Charity totalled £7,846k slightly greater than the prior financial year, funded broadly equally from unrestricted and restricted income sources. This led to a net unrestricted surplus of £248k in the year, adding to the Charity’s unrestricted reserves. As at 31st March 2020 the Charity has £2,727k of unrestricted funds of which it considers £596k to be ‘free’ unrestricted reserves, with the balance of £2,131k representing the Charity’s investment in assets required for its ongoing operations including its HQ building. The Charity seeks to hold an appropriate level of free unrestricted reserves as a means of mitigating the risk of unexpected reductions in income and increases in cost within the Charity and in its trading subsidiaries. The net restricted deficit of £1,731k in the year was funded by associated restricted balances representing grant income received in prior financial years, with the balance of £3,387k of restricted funds carried forward comprising grant income received that will fund expenditure in future years in accordance with the funder’s direction. The end of the 2019/20 financial year saw the activities of the Soil Association Group disrupted by the global Covid-19 pandemic. The Trustees and Directors of the Soil Association Group, supported by senior management, moved quickly to mitigate financial risks. The Group is forecasting lower than anticipated income in 2020/21, but through prudent financial control, an underlying resilient financial model, access to Government support schemes and the continuing financial support of those individuals, institutions and businesses that share our aims we have been able to confidently prepare our 2019/20 financial statements on a going concern basis.
31
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