Soil Association Certification catering news

Soil Association reports increase in organic sales over three months since the horsemeat scandal

ncollins-daniel — Wed, 08 May 2013 09:29:00 GMT

Latest figures from Kantar World-panel reveal organic sales through supermarkets have increased steadily for the past three months. The 12 week year on year picture shows a +1.6% for organic food sales - the first time the market has seen year on year growth since 2009. Sales have now reached a similar level to that of 2 years ago in May 2011. Soil Association market intelligence work also shows organic sales have increased through independent retailers, catering and online.

Organic market on the move!

fnorris — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:51:00 GMT

Sales of organic products through the main supermarkets have risen significantly during the past two months and are performing better than the previous 10 months. According to Kantar Worldpanel data, the 12 week year-on-year trend for organic food to 17 March is -0.6% which is the smallest decline we have seen during the last two years.

Council picks up first Catering Mark for community meals

erose — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:11:00 GMT

South Lanarkshire Council are the first catering service in the UK to achieve the Food for Life Catering Mark for their community meals service.

Catering Mark frozen meals consultation launches

fnorris — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:42:00 GMT

The Soil Association is consulting on whether frozen hospital and community meals could achieve the Food for Life Catering Mark (Catering Mark). We’d like to hear your views on whether meals served in these settings only where no proper kitchens are available could meet the Catering Mark Standards.

Natural and Organic Award winners announced

fnorris — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:30:00 GMT

Winners of the prestigious Natural and Organic Awards 2013, hosted in association with the Soil Association, were announced at the Natural and Organic Products show yesterday [Sunday 7 April] at the Novotel London West. The awards were presented by Michaela Strachan of BBC’s Autumn Watch, Elephant Diaries and Countryfile.

Keep the pressure up for the bees: Email your MP

hblack — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:00:00 GMT

On Friday 15 March, 2013 the EU failed to ban three neonicotinoid pesticides. In the voting process decision-makers failed to recognise the weight of evidence against bee-damaging, neonicotinoid pesticides. However EU member states will vote again on the proposed neonicotinoid ban in late April.

Emirates Arena achieves Gold

erose — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:13:00 GMT

Encore Hospitality Services has won national recognition for the standard of its catering operation at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena. The Gold Food for Life Catering Mark was awarded to Encore, the external contract catering business of Cordia, for the meals they serve at the Emirates Arena Café.

Soil Association 2013 Organic Market Report reveals significant areas of growth in organic sales

fnorris — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:01:00 GMT

The Organic Market Report published by the Soil Association highlights key areas of growth in online retail, independent outlets and a shift towards younger consumers during 2012. Overall, the market has dipped by 1.5% as the UK continues through its most challenging economic downturn for many decades. However, the report predicts a positive future for the UK organic market.

Public consultation of the EU policy on organic agriculture

ljones — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:29:00 GMT

We would like to draw your attention to a public EU consultation 'Review of the EU policy on organic agriculture legislation and action plan'. The consultation is web based and is open until 10/04/2013.

Sustainable Foods Summit 2013

erose — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:00:00 GMT

The 5th European edition of the Sustainable Foods Summit will once again take place in the international city of Amsterdam on 6-7th June 2013.

North Ayrshire Council awarded gold Food for Life Catering Mark

MegR — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:45:00 GMT

All of North Ayrshire’s primary schools, together with Arran High School, have been awarded the Soil Association’s prestigious gold Food for Life Catering Mark for their new spring menus, which will be introduced into the schools from 11 March 2013.

Catering awards celebrate highest standards in the industry

hblack — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:56:00 GMT

126 leading UK caterers have received awards for excellent practice, rewarding their commitment to independent standards of ethical and environmentally sustainable food sourcing, and providing freshly-prepared, healthy meals to schools, nurseries, hospitals, care homes, universities, visitor attractions and workplaces all around the country.

More than half of London boroughs have proven Iceland boss wrong by insisting on Food for Life Catering Mark for school meals

hblack — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:21:00 GMT

Malcolm Walker, boss of Iceland, is right to suggest that catering is often more vulnerable than the supermarkets to price pressure. And when it comes to food in our schools and hospitals, we cannot check the label in person. But more than 57 local authorities, including over half of London’s boroughs, are already standing up for pupils and patients by insisting on Food for Life Catering Mark standards for quality and traceability in their school meal services. And many leading local authorities are making the standards an integral part of how they do business [1].

20% of schools do know where their food comes from, thanks to the Soil Association’s Food for Life Catering Mark

hblack — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:00:00 GMT

The horsemeat scandal has exposed two major flaws in our food system: too little traceability and too much processed food. Too few of us now know where our food comes from, and when it comes to food in our schools and hospitals, we cannot even check the label.

Catering Mark Awards Ceremony 2013

erose — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 10:45:00 GMT

We are very much looking forward to seeing our Catering Mark holders and applicants at the Catering Mark Awards Ceremony next Thursday 21st February at Merchant Taylors' Hall, London.

New Catering Mark Manual

erose — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:12:00 GMT

A new version of the Catering Mark Manual is now available.

A first for University of Edinburgh's student catering

MegR — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:10:00 GMT

The University of Edinburgh has become the first Scottish University to achieve the prestigious bronze Food for Life Catering Mark, in recognition of the institution’s commitment to serving fresh, healthy meals that students can trust.

Organic gets animated

fnorris — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:36:00 GMT

Why do organic producers do what they do – and why should customers care? The Soil Association has launched an appealing animation explaining some of the reasons to choose organic, and you can find animal welfare coming to life here.

Entries now open for the annual Natural and Organic Products Europe (NOPE) Awards

erose — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:56:00 GMT

The NOPE Awards, hosted in partnership with the Soil Association, have become a benchmark for excellence and set the highest standard for innovation, quality and commitment within the organic health and beauty industry.

Trade on Greenpeace's field at Glastonbury 2013

erose — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 13:42:00 GMT

Since the early nineties Greenpeace have been one of the lead charities invited by the Glastonbury Festival to operate at the festival where they have their
own field on which they promote themselves and their international campaigns.

Catering Mark consultations: have your say

erose — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 17:23:00 GMT

We are consulting on three areas of the Food for Life Catering Mark standards

The first FTSE 100 company to put environmental priorities on the menu

fnorris — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 11:32:00 GMT

The Soil Association is delighted to announce that Pearson PLC is the first FTSE 100 company to be serving meals to its UK staff that are guaranteed to be healthy, ethical and environmentally sustainable.

Maple Syrup and Himalayan Pink Sea Salt gets Seed & Bean’s taste buds going!

ncollins-daniel — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:19:00 GMT

Congratulations to the winner of our Seed & Bean competition that ran in the Autumn Issue of Living Earth magazine.

Pearson is first FTSE 100 company to put environmental priorities on the menu

tyoung — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:01:00 GMT

The Soil Association is delighted to announce that Pearson PLC is the first FTSE 100 company to be serving its staff meals that are guaranteed to be healthy, ethical and environmentally sustainable.

Catering Mark Supplier Scheme helps provide food people can trust

tyoung — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:01:00 GMT

The Catering Mark Supplier Scheme is launched today by Soil Association Certification, to complement its highly successful Catering Mark accreditation standards.

Natural England - Helping farmers deal with the wet weather

ljones — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:09:00 GMT

Natural England has circulated information about derogations for Environmental Stewardship agreement holders, please see below for the full media release from them:

Soil Association Licensees Meet the Ocado Buyers

ljones — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 13:59:00 GMT

Great feedback from our “meet the buyer event” with Ocado on 10th October 2012, when we managed to get almost 70 Soil Association licencees in front of the buying team at Ocado HQ in Hatfield.

Organic September Results

ljones — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 13:53:00 GMT

The aim of our month-long promotion was to boost the market for organic products. And we achieved that, with a healthy 7.7% increase in sales over the previous month, thanks to a variety of promotions by retailers, producers and wholesalers all around the country who got behind Organic September in varied (and imaginative!) ways.

Congratulations to Growing Communities

ljones — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:37:00 GMT

Congratulations to Growing Communities, a vegetable box scheme based in Hackney and run by volunteers producing most of its food locally, which was named Retailer of the Year in this year's Observer Food Monthly Awards.

Good news on fresh produce

ljones — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 12:39:00 GMT

Even as producers cope with yet more appalling weather, and the doom-merchants in the retail market peddle a bit more gloom, it’s not all bad news from our licensees…

It’s gonna be a bun fight: The Big Bread Debate

GCatt — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 12:09:00 GMT

In the week that the Advertising Standards Authority declared an industrial baker using a photo of hands kneading dough to advertise its factory loaves was not misleading, the Real Bread Campaign and the Soil Association host The Cake & Bake Show’s debate.

Superweeds in Nebraska: the case for GM-free farming on the BBC

ljones — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 17:04:00 GMT

Don’t miss this important news story on the BBC’s Today programme which vividly illustrates the case against GM crops.

Celebrate the great British Roast the Food for Life way

fnorris — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 09:16:00 GMT

Roast Dinner Day 2012 is a chance for all Food for Life Catering Mark holders to celebrate the great British roast dinner, and encourage more customers to try your delicious food. Previous Roast Dinner Days have seen over one million meals served, and this year we are hoping to exceed that target, by involving food providers from all sectors.

Acorn Dairy win Best Organic Dairy award

GCatt — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:01:00 GMT

This year’s Organic Food Awards feature a special dairy award for Best Organic Dairy, with Acorn Dairy of Darlington taking the hotly contested prize. The award was based on extra criteria including farm management, conservation, animal welfare and community involvement, as well as taste.

Press comment: American study of organic food

GCatt — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:48:00 GMT

Though this US study is of limited application in Europe, we are pleased to see that it recommends organic food as a way for people to avoid pesticides in their food. Indeed, this remains consumers’ top reason for choosing organic. The report, in fact, contains a number of extremely positive findings about organic food, including the recognition that organic milk has significantly higher levels of beneficial nutrients or that the risk of bacteria resistant to 3 or more antibiotics was higher in non-organic than in organic chicken and pork.

Havering become first London borough to achieve gold for their school meals

jstride — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:56:00 GMT

Havering Council’s school meals service has been awarded the prestigious gold Food for Life Catering Mark - awarded by the Soil Association - for serving fresh and healthy meals, in Primary schools.

CIWF report finds higher welfare animals produce more nutritious food

jstride — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 17:31:00 GMT

A report recently published by Compassion in World Farming has concluded that meat from animals raised under higher welfare standards such as organic are also much better for you.

HRH and Welsh Government support the growth of the Catering Mark in Wales

erose — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:44:00 GMT

On 12th July Alun Davies, Wales’ Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, hosted the Welsh Food Summit in partnership with Peter Davies, Commissioner for Sustainable Futures, on behalf of the Welsh Government.

Notification of product recall

ljones — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 11:48:00 GMT

We sent a communication out to all of our processor licensees last night and have repeated this below:

Updated Catering Mark Manual: drinks and invoices

erose — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:44:00 GMT

BBC Food and Farming Awards 2012

Atoner — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 09:14:00 GMT

Nominations will open next week [17 June] for the BBC Food & Farming Awards. Now in their thirteenth year the awards have helped to transform and celebrate the lives of the unsung heroes of the food world including school dinner cooks, small traditional food businesses, community-led markets, and independent food retailers. Each finalist and eventual winner starts with a member of the public sending in a nomination.

Export Learning Event - presentations

fnorris — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:06:00 GMT

With practically every organic market in the world showing positive growth, our own UK market is widely seen as the exception to the rule. As the Soil Association's Organic Market Report 2012 shows, organic export business has been one of the UK market's saving graces during this challenging period.

Catering Mark helps University of Greenwich to highest ever Green League score

jstride — Wed, 30 May 2012 13:23:00 GMT

The University of Greenwich, which has been awarded the Soil Association's bronze Food for Life Catering Mark across all of its catering services, has become the newest name at the top of The People and Planet Green League. Awarded 55 out of a possible 70 points, Greenwich received the highest ever Green League score, bolstered by a top score for sustainable food.

Thumbs up for Stirling school meals

jstride — Wed, 30 May 2012 12:30:00 GMT

Stirling Council in Scotland has been awarded the prestigious bronze Food for Life Catering Mark form the Soil Association for serving fresh and healthy meals in 37 primary schools. This guarantees that all 2,000 meals served every weekday are freshly prepared using seasonal ingredients, better for animal welfare, and free from controversial additives, trans fats and GM ingredients.

Food processing and wine consultation

fnorris — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:42:00 GMT

Have your say in our Spring 2012 standards consultation. We would like to hear your views on the proposed changes to our standards for food processing and wine.

Food for Life Partnership success recognised by continued Big Lottery funding

jstride — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:36:00 GMT

The Food for Life Partnership has been awarded further Lottery funding of £1million as part of an initiative by the Big Lottery Fund to support its grantholders in the tough economic environment

UK’s largest childcare provider achieves Soil Association award for serving healthy food

cturton — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:00:00 GMT

We are proud to announce today that Busy Bees, the UK’s largest childcare provider, have been awarded our bronze Food for Life Catering Mark for 129 nurseries across England and Wales. This guarantees that all 14,000 meals served to children at Busy Bees nurseries are freshly prepared from seasonal ingredients, better for animal welfare, and free from trans fats and GM. They are also free from additives which have been shown to affect children’s behaviour – such as MSG, aspartame and tartrazine – so parents can rest assured that their little ones are getting the good food they deserve.

RHI Application Help Events

jdingwall — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:02:00 GMT

Renewable Heat Incentive - how to apply for funding for renewable heat generation

Your organisation may be able to benefit from the £860m Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) launched last year to make it more financially attractive for industry and businesses to install low carbon heating systems like heat pumps, biomass boilers or solar thermal panels.

The RHI tariffs will be paid for 20 years to owners of eligible technologies, with payments being made quarterly for each kWh of renewable heat which is used (such as for hot water, space heating or carrying out a process). Once in the scheme, the level of support an installation will receive is fixed and adjusted annually with inflation. The RHI is available to eligible generators of renewable heat for commercial, industrial, not for profit and public sector purposes and to producers of biomethane.

Ofgem are holding free, national events on the RHI during March and April 2012.

These events are being held for those wishing to apply for or currently applying for the RHI. They will focus on the different technologies supported, metering considerations and the application process itself. In addition to this, there will be a question and answer session with the RHI team.

The dates and venues for the events are:

Tuesday, 20 March 2012, 1300 – 1700, Trades Hall, Glasgow
Thursday, 22 March 2012, 1300 – 1700, The Portland, Manchester
Tuesday, 27 March 2012, 1300 – 1700, Park Inn, Cardiff
Tuesday 3 April 2012, 1300 - 1700, 1 Victoria Street, London

Light refreshments will be provided, lunch will not.

For more information on the RHI and venue information, please visit: http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/e-serve/RHI/Pages/RHI.aspx

Please book early as places are limited. When responding, please include the name of the city you would like to attend in the subject and body of the email. Please also include your sector and the name of the organisation you represent in the email.

Please book and send any queries to rhi.event@ofgem.gov.uk

Yeo Valley signs up to Ethical Trade

cturton — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:21:00 GMT

Yeo Valley, the UK’s largest organic brand, is the latest addition to the Soil Association’s Ethical Trade scheme. This means that all of the milk used for Yeo Valley products – yoghurt, butter, cheese and milk – is now certified to Soil Association Ethical Trade standards. Following a major rebrand, their new packaging – which includes the Ethical Trade logo - went on sale this week.

Final version of group strategy published

tyoung — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:34:00 GMT

The Soil Association is pleased to publish the final version of its new group strategy: The Road to 2020. The publication sees the culmination of a large-scale consultation exercise with stakeholders, and sets out our goals and priorities over the short-, medium- and long-term. Encompassing the activity of both Soil Association Certification and the wider Soil Association charity, the strategy puts a strong emphasis on supporting innovation and reaching out to a wider audience through our future activities.

Royal recognition for excellence in hospital food

jcollins — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:50:00 GMT

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales hosted a reception at Clarence House on Thursday 15 December to congratulate 14 hospitals from around the country on the excellent work they have done to improve their food, as identified by the Soil Association.

His Royal Highness also wrote an article setting out the multiple benefits of improving hospital food, which was published in The Sun newspaper.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales said: “With climate change an urgent priority and obesity costing the NHS £6billion a year, serving good, healthy food has multiple advantages.
“Patients benefit from nutritious, tasty menus; British farmers benefit from local, reliable supply contracts and food miles, pollution and greenhouse gases are minimised.”

HRH The Prince of Wales has long been actively involved in the drive towards better hospital food and has been working with the Soil Association, as our Royal Patron, since 2004. At a Soil Association event which took place at the Royal Brompton hospital in 2008, he encouraged NHS hospital trust chief executives to improve the quality of hospital food, saying “we are what we eat…we go into hospital to get well, so what we eat must help, not hinder that process.”

Many of those who attended the event on 15 December 2011 were from hospitals which featured as success stories in the Soil Association’s 'First aid for hospital food' report released earlier this year, exposing the often shocking state of hospital food in Britain today. It showed that hospital food’s rotten reputation is often richly deserved. Every independent survey of hospital food since 1963 has concluded that NHS food is neither appetising nor nutritious. Indeed, the identity of the food in many of the pictures we received from patients remains a mystery.

While negative reports on hospital food will surprise few, our report was also full of success stories. Improvements in quality, local food sourcing which improved patients’ food were made without inflating hospital budgets. In fact, a significant number of hospitals were already sourcing local, seasonal, organic food - cutting their food miles, boosting their local economies and serving healthier, fresher meals to their patients within tight budgets. In some cases the switch actually saved money.

As Soil Association Policy Director Peter Melchett pointed out, "all too frequently the food served in our hospitals is more appropriate to a disease service than a health service. Overall, hospital food is a national scandal, but all the hospitals that attended this ‘best of British hospital food’ event provide the blueprints for national reform - practical examples which demonstrate that really good hospital food needn't cost more.”

The hospitals which attended the event were Royal Brompton Hospital, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation, North Bristol NHS Trust, South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT), Devon Partnership NHS Trust, Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Darlington Memorial Hospital, Braintree Community Hospital, Bedford Memorial Hospital, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, St Andrews Healthcare Trust and NHS Lothian.

• The Sun article
• More about the Food for Life Catering Mark for hospitals

UK: ‘Jamie Oliver Generation’ Emerges From Foodie Revolution

Atoner — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:00:00 GMT

A demographic breakdown comparing shoppers aged under 35 with those aged over 35, from IGD’s monthly survey reveals:

26% of shoppers under 35 expect to buy more organic food over the next 12 months, compared to 13% of over-35s

51% of them claim to be cooking more from scratch (compared to 35% of over-35s)

43% of younger shoppers are cooking more with leftovers (compared to 30% of over-35s)

30% are prepared to pay extra for premium quality food (compared to 16% of over-35s)

19% of the under-35s aspire to use specialist stores (like butchers, bakers and fishmongers) more over the coming 12 months (compared to just 8% of over-35s)

Joanne Denney-Finch, Chief Executive, IGD, said: “This is great news for the whole food chain in the UK. The last 20 years have seen a foodie revolution as people have grown up watching celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Gordon Ramsay.

“The under-35s have travelled abroad more than their parents and grandparents. They are more aware than ever of the challenges facing our global climate. And the internet has brought recipes from around the world direct to people’s kitchens.

“Our food industry continues to provide shoppers with a wide range of great quality, tasty food from around the world. They are well placed to please younger shoppers who are more concerned with ethics, the environment and animal welfare and who select their supermarket based partly on its commitment to environmental sustainability.”
NamNews - Monday 28th November 2011

10 small steps to a big organic Christmas

jstride — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:05:00 GMT

The choices we make over the festive season - about what goes on our plates, the presents we buy, what we wear and what we put on our skin – have far reaching consequences for our health, the health of our countryside, and the development of countries across the world.

Little choices can add up to make for a big change, so this Christmas we’ve come up with ten ways for you to enjoy a festive period that is better for people, animals and the planet. You can also visit our Christmas shopping page where you’ll find everything from tea-towels to high-welfare, organic turkeys for a perfect organic Christmas.

Food for Life Partnership wins BBC award

tyoung — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:54:00 GMT

Today the Soil Association led Food for Life Partnership was awarded the prestigious BBC Radio 4 Derek Cooper Award. The award recognises 'unsung heroes, whose work has increased our access to, and knowledge and appreciation of, good food'. For five years the Soil Association and its three partners in the project – Health Education Trust, Garden Organic and Focus on Food Campaign – have been working with schools and communities across England to transform their food cultures, and the award is fitting recognition for the impact the scheme has had. The Partnership uses food as a way to improve the whole school experience – making lunchtimes a positive feature of the day and enriching classroom learning with farm visits and practical cooking and growing.

Organic heroes nominated for Radio 4 Food & Farming Awards

tyoung — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:52:00 GMT

The Soil Association led Food for Life Partnership, the lottery funded network of schools and communities across England committed to transforming food culture, has been nominated for the prestigious Derek Cooper award in the up and coming BBC Radio 4 Food & Farming Awards. Named after The Food Programme's first presenter, this award recognises ‘unsung heroes, whose work has increased our access to, and knowledge and appreciation of, good food’ and the nomination recognises the efforts the Partnership has made in reaching out through schools to give communities access to seasonal, local and organic food, and in developing the skills needed for more people to cook and grow fresh food.

New report shows schools in over half of London Boroughs are serving Food for Life Catering Mark meals

cturton — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:41:00 GMT

The Soil Association's Food for Life Catering Mark provides a key benchmark for healthy and sustainable food provision in a new report compiled by London Food Link, a network run by Sustain.

Food for Life Catering Mark at inaugural Green League best practice seminar

cturton — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:00:00 GMT

The Soil Association's Food for Life Catering Mark team will be speaking and running a workshop at a Sustainable Food Seminar in Oxford on Thursday 24 November. This is the first in a series of Green League best practice seminars organised by People & Planet, the largest student network in Britain campaigning to end world poverty, defend human rights and protect the environment.

Organic September round-up

tyoung — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:33:00 GMT

The UK’s biggest celebration of all things organic took place last month, with Organic September being marked on organic farms, in schools, by retailers and caterers and the general public. Taking a lead from the ongoing industry wide ‘discover organic’ marketing campaign the theme of this year’s activity was ‘discover your reasons to love organic this September’.

Food for Life team reaps national award

edownham — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:33:00 GMT

East Ayrshire Council recently celebrated winning an APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) award in a UK-wide competition which drew around 300 submissions in total.

Calling all game changers – enter the International Green Awards

sbolton — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:03:00 GMT

Organic body outlines new US textile ruling

sbolton — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:01:00 GMT

The Organic Trade Association has clarified how a new US policy memo which allows organic textiles to be sold in the USA in a similar way to organic food, is also in addition to existing FTC requirements.

A growing market for organic textiles

sbolton — Mon, 16 May 2011 13:54:00 GMT

Soil Association textile licensees defied the recession in 2010 with a sales growth of 35% - reaching £12million. As the market for organic textiles grows, so does our support for organic textiles trade.

Organic red meat not expensive

sbolton — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:13:00 GMT

Expensive and elitist. That’s a perception which has been recently attached to organic food in some quarters. However, a new survey of supermarket prices adds to the evidence that this is not the case.

Health claims trump ethics with UK consumers

sbolton — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:46:00 GMT

Thirty percent more UK shoppers look for health claims than ethical ones; ‘Free range’ is twice as looked for as Fairtrade; However, almost 90 percent recognise the Fairtrade logo.

Seeking Standards Committee Chair

sbolton — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:20:00 GMT

We are looking to appoint a chair for our Processing Standards Committee.

New dates for Industry Learning Events

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:04:00 GMT

Our one-day organic induction events provide brands, retailers and caterers the opportunity to improve their knowledge of the market while deepening their understanding of organic benefits.

Nominate for the Sunday Telegraph’s top 1,000?

sbolton — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:00:00 GMT

To mark the start of the British economy’s recovery from the recent financial crisis and recession, The Daily and The Sunday Telegraph have set out to establish which companies will drive that growth, creating the jobs and the wealth the country needs.

New campaign launches to highlight benefits of organic

sbolton — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 09:47:00 GMT

The organic industry launches a high profile 3-year campaign that is set to deliver sales growth by increasing consumer demand for organic food in the UK.

Conference set to deliver three key sessions for trade

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Our 2011 conference offers three comprehensive trade elements which will be of interest to any business operating in the organic market.

Organic Fortnight 2010 - another successful year

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:35:00 GMT

This year the key slogan for our Organic Fortnight was “Choose organic every day”, positioning organic products as an accessible, affordable everyday choice.

Half of European shoppers will buy more ethical food and drink in the future

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:45:00 GMT

Source: IGD

Half (49%) of shoppers across four European countries expect to be buying more food and grocery products with ethical credentials in the future, according to new consumer research published by international food and grocery analysts IGD.

Social gathering at Patrick Holden's farm in September

pmundy — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:37:00 GMT

Soil Association members are invited to attend a social gathering to meet other members and friends at Soil Association director Patrick Holden’s farm near Lampeter, Ceredigion on Friday 24 September from approximately 6pm-9pm.

BBC Food and Farming Awards now open

pmundy — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:58:00 GMT

The BBC Radio 4's Food and Farming Awards are now open for nominations.

IFOAM launch new EU organic logo guide

pmundy — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:50:00 GMT

A handy new guide to the use of the new EU organic logo is now available from IFOAM.

The Food for Life Partnership needs your vote!

pmundy — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:15:00 GMT

The Food for Life Partnership has just been nominated for the National Lottery Awards 2010 and needs your vote to make it through to the final round.

Ethics more important than price’, claims shopper poll

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:15:00 GMT

Shoppers rate ethical and environmental considerations as more important than price when choosing their supermarket, according to new research.

Promoting Scotland's finest at the Royal Highland Show

pmundy — Tue, 25 May 2010 13:36:00 GMT

Soil Association Scotland is hoping to promote Scotland's finest organic products at its stand at the Roal Highland Show on 24-27 June 2010.

Organic packaging concerns

pmundy — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:14:00 GMT

New requirements on the use of the new EU organic logo on packaging materials could have “serious repercussions for the organic sector”, warns the IFOAM EU Group.

Soil Association conference 2010 - last few tickets available

pmundy — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:22:00 GMT

Date: Wednesday 3 February & Thursday 4 February 2010
Location: The Custard Factory, Birmingham