Press centre

Our press team work across the Soil Association charity and the organic body Soil Association Certification.

Media enquiries

For media queries for the Soil Association and its schemes – including Innovative Farmers, Soil Association Exchange and Food for Life, please use the contact details below. For out-of-office press enquiries, please call 07930 991804 or 07891 248082.

Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm, except for Bank Holidays

+44 (0) 117 914 2448

press@soilassociation.org

Press Team

Communications Director - Julie Wilkins
Senior PR Manager - Sophie Nixon
Press Officer - Amna Akram

Our spokespeople

Soil Association experts can talk on a wide range of issues relating to sustainable food, farming and forestry. We also have a team of farming advisors and a network of farming ambassadors who can provide case studies and hands on, practical knowledge. Contact the press office to connect with the below spokespeople and more.

Helen Browning OBE

Chief Executive of Soil Association, Soil Association Certification Director and Soil Association Exchange Director

Helen is Chief Executive of Soil Association, and farms with her daughter under the Helen Browning’s Organic brand. She has worked in food and farming policy, including the Government’s Policy Commission on the Future of Farming, the England Animal Health and Welfare Implementation Group and the Food Ethics Council. She is a trustee of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission and the National Trust. She has an OBE for services to organic farming.

Brendan Costelloe

Policy and Strategy Director

Brendan leads the Soil Association’s Policy Unit. He has broad experience in environmental policy across government, NGOs and business. He previously advised the Defra Secretary of State and worked at the RSPB and the British Ecological Society. He later helped businesses on nature‑related reporting at Biodiversify. Brendan is also a trustee of a Malawian education charity and serves on the Cotswold National Landscape Conservation Board.

Gareth Morgan

Head of Farming Policy

Rob Percival

Head of Food Policy

Dominic Robinson

Chief Executive of Soil Association Certification and Soil Association Certification Director

Dominic brings extensive experience from environmental organisations and worked closely with Soil Association Certification, as a member of its Scrutiny Committee, before becoming CEO in 2022. His career spans senior roles at Severn Trent Water and Forestry England, leading large‑scale land and certification programmes. Having an interest in the environment from a young age, he studied Geography at Cambridge University and went on to study Environmental Technology at Imperial College London.

Dominic Robinson_CEO_certification_round

Alex Cullen

Commercial and Marketing Director

Alex lives in Chesham, Buckinghamshire with her husband and sons, and is a passionate gardener. She has extensive experience across commercial, marketing and public service sectors. Most recently, she was Head of Marketing at NHS Blood and Transplant, leading public engagement for blood and organ donation during the pandemic. Previously, she held senior marketing roles at Marks & Spencer and Ferrero. She is also a trustee of UFI VocTech Trust and Chair of its Ventures Committee.

Alex Cullen_Marketing_Director_Certification_round

Lee Holdstock

Head of Regulatory & Trade Affairs

Benefiting from over 25 years of experience in food and textiles, Lee is a trusted expert in sustainability, responsible business, and organic trade who manages a range of trade and regulatory projects for Soil Association Certification. By helping hundreds of businesses build capability in marketing, communications, supply chain, and navigate the changing regulatory landscape, Lee is part of a team that actively supports the growth of an organic market now worth over £3 Billion a year.

Lee Holdstock_certification_head of regulatory and trade

Sarah Compson

Director of Standards Innovation

Sarah oversees standards and organic regulation for food and farming, working with the global organic community on principles and on standards such as GOTS and COSMOS. With nearly 20 years’ experience, she has deep knowledge from food processing to textiles. She is active in IFOAM, IOAS and the GOTS Standards Committee. Sarah also leads Organic for All, helping make organic more accessible to everyone.

Joseph Gridley

CEO of Soil Association Exchange and Soil Association Exchange Director

Joseph is CEO of Soil Association Exchange, helping businesses turn climate and nature commitments into practical change on farms. He leads programmes across more than 30 supply‑chain partners, working with over 2,000 farmers in the UK and beyond. Before founding Exchange, Joseph led EIT Food's work with agri‑food start‑ups in Southern Europe, and supported entrepreneurs tackling food insecurity at the KellyDeli Foundation.

joseph-gridley-ceo-founder-soil-association-exchange

David McKay

Co-Director and Head of Policy

David is Co‑Director and Head of Policy for Soil Association Scotland. He leads the research, development and advocacy of the charity’s policy positions on food, farming and land use. He sits on the Scottish Organic Stakeholders Group, the Scottish Agroecology Partnership, Scottish Environment LINK’s Food and Farming Group and the Forest Policy Group. David holds an MSc in organic farming from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and grows Soil Association‑certified organic fruit and vegetables.

Andrew Tuddenham

Head of Policy Cymru

Andrew is Head of Policy, Wales. He leads Soil Association advocacy on food, farming and land use policy in Wales. Since joining in 2022, Andrew has worked on the Welsh Government's Sustainable Farming Scheme as a member of the SFS Ministerial Roundtable, building on earlier work shaping post‑Brexit agricultural policy. He engages with Welsh Government and the Senedd to champion healthy, sustainable food, and is mobilising support for a Welsh Organic Action Plan.

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