Contact the standards team
If you are benchmarking or evaluating organic standards, you can contact us for further information.
Soil Association organic standards
Our organic standards define how organic principles are put into practice, with Soil Association higher standards going further than the legal minimum in important areas such as animal welfare, protection for nature and human health.
Soil Association sets higher organic standards in areas that reflect our vision and mission, where going beyond the legal minimum will make a real difference. These standards protect animal welfare, the environment and human health, and help drive best practice in food and farming in the UK and internationally.
All Soil Association certified products must comply with organic regulations set down in law, as well as meeting our additional higher standards. This ensures that when you see the Soil Association symbol on a product, you can trust what it stands for.
Businesses in Great Britain are certified to organic regulations (EC) No. 834/2007 and (EC) No. 889/2008. These are former EU regulations that still apply in Great Britain. Businesses in Northern Ireland are certified to the current EU Organic Regulation (EU) 2018/848.
Read our standards
How Soil Association standards drive change
Where possible, we encourage Soil Association certified processors to source organic ingredients that also meet our higher standards. However, global supply chains are complex, and it is not always feasible or proportionate to require this in every case.
When we introduce a higher standard for farmers, we assess whether it is practical to apply the same requirement to ingredient sourcing by processors. Where this is feasible and verifiable, it is included in the Sourcing Organic Ingredients annex. Where it is not, we focus on other ways to drive improvement and best practice across the sector.
This includes working with other standard setters and NGOs, influencing regulation and policy, and developing guidance to support change across supply chains.
Read how our standards are set
Find out how our higher organic standards are set, governed and applied worldwide, and how we balance ambition with practical, evidence-based innovation.
Read external organisation's standards
Find out about other standards offered by Soil Association Certification.
Forestry, wood and paper standards
Soil Association Certification forestry team is accredited to audit and certify responsible forest management and wood supply chains on behalf of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
Textile standards
Soil Association Certification certifies exclusively to the Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS) for organic textiles products.
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) was developed through collaboration by leading standard setters with the aim of defining requirements that are recognised worldwide.
These ensure the organic status of textiles from the harvesting of the raw materials - including requirements related to environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing - all the way to labelling, in order to provide credible assurance to the consumer.
International organic regulations and guidance
External sources for international organic regulations, standards and guidance referenced by Soil Association Certification.