• Commissions detailed research.
• Provides extensive information and educational materials.

Over the years we have won many battles with government and industry - achieving bans on ozone-destroying CFCs, reduced trade in rainforest timber, increased support for cleaner energy technologies, and much, much more.

Friends of the Earth
26 - 28 Underwood Street
London
N1

Tel. 0207 460 1555
Fax. 0207 490 0881
E-mail. info@foe.co.uk

The Soil Association has been researching and promoting organic farming as the key to sustainable agriculture since 1946, with its distinctive symbol now widely recognised as the consumer's guarantee of organic quality. Our organic expertise has also been applied to developing forestry certification. Thirty thousand members and supporters back our campaign for organic farming and sustainable land use. We produce two quarterly publications; Living Earth, our membership magazine, and Organic Farming, the premier journal for organic producers read in over 30 countries.

Organic Standards
Over the past 50 years the Soil Association has played a leading role in the development of worldwide organic standards. Areas covered include: 

• Crop production
• Livestock
• Conservation
• Processing, packing and distribution

Standards are written to take into account the following principles:

• To produce food of high nutritional quality in sufficient quantity.
• To encourage and enhance biological cycles within the farming system, involving micro organisms, soil flora and fauna, plants and animals.
• To use, as far as possible, renewable resources in locally organised agricultural systems. To minimise all forms of pollution that may result from agricultural practise.
• To maintain the genetic diversity of the agricultural
  system and its surroundings, including the protection of
  plant and wildlife habitats.
• To consider the wider social and ecological impact of the
  farming system.

Organic Certification
Under EC law, all production of food intended for sale as organic must be inspected annually by an authorised body of which Soil Association Certification Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of the Soil Association) is the largest in the UK. The Soil Association Symbol is only awarded to food produced according to the rigorous standards required for organic certification. These standards cover a broad range of aspects including growing methods, farm animal welfare, environmental criteria, processing and packaging.

Contact details:

The Soil Association
Bristol House
40 - 56 Victoria Street
Bristol
BS1 6BY
UK

Tel: +44 (0)117 929 0661
Fax: +44 (0)117 925 2504
Email: info@soilassociation.org
Website. www.soilassociation.org