Soil Association

The Soil Association was founded in 1946 by a group of farmers, scientists and nutritionists who observed a direct connection between farming practice and plant, animal, human and environmental health. Today, we are the UK’s leading membership charity campaigning for healthy, humane and sustainable food, farming and land use.

Our work is divided into three areas:
In the face of climate change and a growing world population, business as usual in our food and farming system is not an option. We want to ensure that organic systems can secure a durable and humane solution to the challenges facing us. We help provide solutions that help people to live, eat, farm and grow with the resources that are available. We want to
pioneer new solutions to tackle climate change, support biodiversity, improve animal welfare and champion fairness.
We believe that climate-friendly food is organically grown, minimally processed, fairly traded, fresh and seasonal. Good food should be a right, not a privilege: we want to make sure everyone has access to food that is healthy for them and the planet.

Our work in almost 1000 schools, through the Food for Life programme, shows that it is possible to transform food
cultures for the better - improving the life and health chances of thousands of children through a comprehensive awards programme and teacher training scheme. We are building on this work and helping other communities to build healthier food cultures.

We represent and work with pioneering farmers, growers and businesses who deliver practical change – the extraordinary people who make change happen on the ground. We provide technical support and advice to farmers and businesses, and through our trading subsidiary, Soil Association Certification, we work to create and inspire consumer trust in
order to support the organic market. We also work to improve consumer understanding of organic principles and to ensure that the vision, integrity and trust at the core of our certification process are understood by anyone purchasing a product that carries our symbol.