Air freight consultation
Following a lengthy two stage consultation on air freighted organic goods, the Soil Association Standards Board have decided to monitor the amount of air freighted organic goods and work with partners in Africa to promote the positive contribution organic farming makes to food security and people’s livelihoods.
Air freight
Air freight is used to import out-of-season fresh fruit and vegetables from around the globe that are too perishable to be transported by sea.
Aircraft emissions produce far more greenhouse gases per ‘food mile’ than any other form of transport. Although less than 1% of imported food is air freighted, it contributes 11% of the carbon emissions from UK food distribution.
Concerns have been raised over the contribution air freight could have to climate change if the growth in air freighted produce continues.
However, air freight makes it possible for producers in developing countries to sell high value goods to us in the UK, bringing them social and economic gains. It is becoming clear that growing organic food in developing countries significantly improves the livelihoods of farmers and rural communities.
Organic principles and standards
The work of the Soil Association and its standards are guided by a comprehensive set of environmental and social principles, including minimising pollution and developing fair and ecologically responsible production, processing and distribution chains.
Soil Association organic standards are constantly under development, reacting to new research, technical innovation and public expectation.
In light of our principles and the growing concerns over the contribution of air freight to climate change, the Soil Association’s independent Standards Board launched a year long consultation to investigate the issues and explore whether the standards need to be amended to address air freight.
Working with East Africa
As a result of consulting on the use of air freight for organic products, the Soil Association are now working closely with colleagues in East Africa to explore options for addressing climate change and development issues by recognising and supporting wider adoption of good environmental and social practices of organic exports, and publicising these benefits. Some of the activities we are exploring to achieve this include:
- a regional equivalent to Ethical Trade that is owned and administered by East African organic organisations, therefore being much more appropriate to the African context in which they are used. The Soil Association’s core principles of Ethical Trade will be the starting point in the process of developing equivalent standards;
- capacity building in training, certification and inspection to help reduce barriers for small holder farmers trying to access the European organic market;
- joint campaigning and policy work on improved food security associated with organic agriculture, and a joint campaign against GM;
- working together on identifying the positive contribution organic farmers make to tackling climate change and what actions they can take to minimise their carbon emissions further
The consultation
Eighteen months ago the Soil Association standards board initiated a consultation on whether we should address air freight in the Soil Association organic standards. The first consultation concluded that the standards board should do something, but there were clear differences of view about what. The strongest view expressed was that, when addressing air freight, organic agriculture’s potential to alleviate poverty and enhance the local environment in developing countries should be a key consideration.
In March this year we started to consult on proposals for addressing the issues including monitoring air freight, consumer information, requiring businesses have a plan for reducing their use of air freight and linking air freight with ethical or fair trade certification.
During the consultation we heard from over 100 organisations, around 200 individuals and in addition we visited farmers and industry bodies in East Africa. (You can read a detailed account of the consultation in the second round feedback statement.)
The Standards Board have concluded that:
- a standard to require licensees to monitor and report the produce they air freight was welcomed by businesses. The information should give us a clearer understanding of key trends and drivers in the use of air freight;
- requiring a plan to reduce air freight would be costly to implement and unlikely to contribute to a reduction in the use of air freight. Many businesses already proactively try to reduce the amount they air freight;
- informing consumers should be a key part of addressing concerns about air freight. There are various channels for doing this on line and through the media. Air freight labels, however, do not give consumers enough indication of the climate change and development impacts associated with the product. Carbon labels could provide a better indication of climate change contribution, however, this is dependant on a number of factors, such as methodology and use, which are still playing out;
- to progress with standards on energy use for glasshouses and protected cropping;
- not to require air freight also to have ethical trade or Fairtrade certification, but instead
- work with partners in East Africa on a project to capture and communicate the development benefits of organic agriculture in developing countries. We hope the project will be a model for similar initiatives in other parts of the world.
When making this decision the Standards Board noted work already being done by the Soil Association on climate change. Climate change, human health and improving the resilience of global food systems are now the major priorities for all the Soil Association’s work.
The Standards Board will be reviewing their position on air freight annually in relation to progress in East Africa and ethical trade generally.
The proposal to link air freight with ethical trade was always set alongside the long term intention for ethical trade certification of all organic products. In the past year there has been a lot of progress with Soil Association Ethical Trade including a review of the scheme’s implementation, the establishment of an Ethical Trade Taskforce and several potential new entrants to the scheme. This brings us a step closer to realising the overall aim of integrating ethical trade into the general organic standards in the long-term.
The Standards Board are particularly excited about where this process has led us. We are pleased to now have a closer working relationship with the Kenyan Organic Agriculture Network and other organisations in East Africa and believe there is great potential in implementing a joint project looking at the positive contribution organic agriculture can make to development.
Thank you
The Soil Association would like to thank all those that took part in the consultation on this complex issue. It is as a result of your contribution that the Standards Board are now able to take these positive steps forward.
New standards
The new Soil Association standards (point 41.7.6) state the following:
If you are importing or exporting air freighted products and ingredients, you must record:
- what was air freighted
- the quantity
- the country of origin, and
- the port and date of entry into the EU
Further information