The East of England region is made up of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Over 75% of land in the East of England is used for farming and, as a result, the industry has an important effect on both the landscape and local rural economies. The region produces more than a quarter of England's wheat and barley and is a major region for horticulture – cultivating everything from peas and beans, to apples, strawberries, salad crops, flowers and shrubs.

Producers in East Anglia also harvest more than half the country's entire sugar beet and almost a third of England's potato crop. The pig and poultry industry is also important in the region. Laying hens produce about 2.2 million eggs every day and producers in the region supply a quarter of England's table chicken. The region also has the second largest number of pigs in England, with 1.2 million animals on around 1,500 farms. In addition, there is a high number of food processing and supply chain businesses in the region.

In terms of organic significance the East of England region accounts for approximately 6% (254) of all UK organic producers (4,343) and about 12% (258) of UK organic processors (2,135). Organic land in the region covers an area of 14,955ha (of which 2,602ha is in-conversion), representing 2.4% of a total organic area of 631,144ha in the UK (Defra, 2006).

Taking the action plan forward

A new East of England organic sector steering group is now meeting, co-ordinated by the Soil Association, to take the actions forward and identify other supporters who could become involved. For further information contact Sarah Dyke on sdyke@soilassociation.org, T: 0117 3145174.

East of England organic trading website
Visit the new East of England organic trading website. This site contains a directory of organic farmers and food processors in the region with enterprises, facilities or good business practice. The site is currently under development and we would welcome your feedback.

Further information:

» East of England Organic Action Plan [PDF, 677 KB]
» East of England Organic Action Plan - press release
» The state of the organic sector in the East of England [PDF, 289 KB]
» Organic statistics in the East of England 2007 [PDF 3279KB]
» Organic statistics in the East of England 2006 [PDF, 3.3 MB]
» Organic action plan consultation meeting - East of England provisional outcomes [PDF, 140 KB]
» Regional update - June 2007 [PDF, 176 KB]
» Contact Sarah Dyke on sdyke@soilassociation.org, T: 0117 314 5174