The Soil Association turns 80 in 2026
In 2026, the Soil Association will celebrate it's 80th birthday! Helen Browning, reflects on what's coming in the year ahead.
Over the Christmas break, in contemplation of 2026, our 80th anniversary, I re-read ‘Look to the Land’, the seminal work by Lord Northbourne. He is credited with christening the term ‘organic’ as an expression of the cycle of life, the wholeness, that would allow true vitality of people and place.
Much of his work is still relevant now. He exposes how cheap food is only secured by the pillage of fertility from other nations, or from our own soils. He reflects on the work of Robert McCarrison, who demonstrated that rats fed on poor-quality, nutrient-deficient food became aggressive, disease-prone and cannibalistic. In contrast, a control group fed a balanced, nourishing diet was robust, disease-free and lived together in social harmony. He explains how the destruction of forests led to massive soil erosion and silting of waterways, rendering once hospitable terrains impoverished, and impoverishing.
Despite over 80 years of advocacy by us and many others, while these issues are unresolved today, it does feel, at last, as though we are making some progress. In the last decade, attitudes and awareness have shifted. The public is now concerned about and actively avoiding ultra-processed foods. The importance of reversing the decline in biodiversity; allowing nature to help solve our climate and water problems; the focus on soils as crucial to the future of humanity; these are all issues that many people, from policy makers to businesses to citizens, are engaged with. Farmer attitudes are changing too. We may sometimes be sceptical about the ‘regenerative farming’ buzz, but it’s a wave that is finally rolling in our direction.
As the world changes, we need to change too. Our role now is less one of warning, of campaigning against things, though that will always be needed at times, and more about helping turn positive sentiment and a desire for change into successful and therefore durable solutions. We have something very special to offer the world now: 80 years of practical experience. We sit in the centre of an ecosystem of some of the most progressive farmers and businesses. We know how challenging it is to make good ideas work in real life. We know that there are no silver bullets, but a need to work on a whole range of issues, to allow the system to evolve in a fairer and healthier direction.
It’s this ‘real world’ practical understanding that makes us so well positioned to help businesses, governments and even individuals take the steps that will move them and society forward, towards a fair and healthier food system. In our 80th year, we commit to reviving nature through supporting the farming transition, revolutionising the food environment, especially out of home, and ensuring that social justice is centre stage, alongside our environmental ambitions.
Our latest impact report demonstrates these are all areas where we have a serious track record, where we are already delivering at scale. Food for Life serves over 1.5 million meals a day to children across England and Scotland. Out to Lunch has committed restaurants serving 20 million meals a month to pivot children’s menus towards healthier and sustainable options. Sustainable Food Places improves opportunities for 24 million people. Soil Association Exchange has benchmarked environmental and social outcomes on 2000 farms in the UK and is now piloting in Spain. Over 28 million ha of forest worldwide are certified by us to FSC or PEFC standards. The organic market is now worth over £3.7 billion in the UK.
These are major achievements, but they are not enough. We will not be satisfied until every child has a healthy and sustainable diet, until every forest is managed regeneratively, until every farm has a viable pathway to a resilient, ethical, nature and climate-positive future. These ambitions are not a pipe dream now, but within our grasp, if we work wisely and together. The radical movement that we have been part of is maturing into the midwife of a future that genuinely embodies the organic principles of ecology, health, care and fairness.
