Who we are
The Soil Association is a charity championing the future of our planet by working with nature.
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Who we are
The Soil Association is a charity working with everyone to transform the way we eat, farm, and care for our natural world.
We do this to support a future with good health, in balance with nature, and a safe climate.
We build real solutions from the ground up. For the last 75 years, we've worked with citizens, farmers, policy makers and businesses, supporting them to explore the vital relationship between the health of soil, plants, animals and people. Because the only way to solve the issues we face is to understand that they are all connected - and that food, farming and forestry are a vital part of the solution.
We're supporting, collaborating and campaigning; finding solutions and joining forces to build a better world, together.
Our charity helped to establish, and has ongoing involvement in:
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Our wholly-owned subsidiary Soil Association Certification Limited, the UK’s largest organic certification body.
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Food for Life, our programme making good food the easy choice for everyone.
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The Soil Association Land Trust, who acquire and maintain farmland sustainably and to connect the public with land stewardship.
We’re also a lead partner in several programmes you might have heard of that work directly with communities to deliver positive change and hopeful solutions, including: Innovative Farmers, Sustainable Food Places, Food For Life Get Togethers and more.
What we do
At the Soil Association, we help people build natural solutions together.
We support everyone to grow - whether that's growing food, or by growing as people, developing healthy connections with nature and joining together with others to support a nature-friendly future.
Working together with farmers, businesses, policymakers and fellow citizens, our work has made an impact on the food you eat, the clothes you wear and the environment you live in.
Throughout our history, we've campaigned for change on a global scale. We've supported farming innovation. We've developed world-leading standards in order to protect the future health of our communities, animals, plants and environment.
We do this because we know we can make a world of difference.
The ways we make a difference:
Joining forces for positive change
Campaigning for change
Through supporting food, farming and forestry work on the ground, we find out what is possible. We use our learnings, and with your help we deliver evidence to government to support positive changes to food, farming and land use laws.
We use our reach to promote alternatives to current intensive production and consumption systems that will move us closer to a nature-friendly future, and strive to support your journey to sustainable living and working.
Sign up for updates to receive news, offers, practical tips and information on ways you can get involved with our current campaigns.
Developing world-leading standards
The Soil Association was one of the founders of the global organic movement and developed some of the world’s first organic standards allowing us to protect producers, consumers and the soil by endorsing nature-friendly farming methods.
We continue to develop high standards for food, farming, health and beauty and textiles, as well as for forestry and work across Europe to influence legislation.
Through our work with The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) both in the EU and internationally, we support a thriving organic movement in all corners of the world.
Read more about our standards.
Good food for all
Serving healthy food
“We have a clear vision that every child has a right to good, wholesome school food and that food poverty will one day be a thing of the past.”
That’s a quote from Jeanette Orrey, the Co-Founder of our Food for Life programme. Her vision perfectly underlines our approach to serving healthy food. Food for Life makes good food the easy choice for everyone, whoever and wherever they are.
Food for Life also has a Get Togethers programme uses good food to bring people of different ages together through growing, cooking and eating.
Our Sustainable Food Places partnership network is working with local councils and food leaders across all areas of the food system. It looks at food as a means to help solve some of today’s most pressing social, environmental and economic issues.
Supporting and growing the organic market
Through Soil Association Certification, we provide our organic businesses with technical advice and marketing support, allowing them to access our wealth of knowledge and resources.
Through our licensees, we effect real change on the ground – the farming they do, the food that they produce and their business practices are rooted in the organic principles of health, ecology, fairness and care.
Year on year, our Organic Market Report shows healthy growth in the organic sector, highlighting that shoppers are becoming ever more aware of the impact their choices can have on the planet, and are choosing to stick with organic.
Read more about Soil Association Certification business support.
Nature friendly farming
Supporting farming innovation
We know it's possible for farm businesses to thrive while stewarding the land in nature-friendly ways. Through programmes like Innovative Farmers, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, and Future Farming Scotland we're supporting agricultural research and innovation on the ground - led by farmers.
These programmes provide a much-needed platform for farmers and growers to develop skills, share knowledge and connect with one another, allowing them to lead change and secure the future of good, sustainable food.
Read more about how we're transforming the way we farm. If you're a farmer or grower, see our farmers and growers section to find out more about our programmes, support, and to access free guides and technical information.
Protecting forests
Trees and forests are at the heart of our work; they play such an important role for our health and the health of our environment.
Soil Association Certification Forestry supports over 2,000 forestry, wood and paper clients. Through them, we’re protecting over 17 million hectares of forest all over the world – as well as the people, plants and animals that live in them.
Read more about how we're protecting and celebrating forests, or if you're a business, find out what we offer or how to check whether your timber is legal.
Our impact
We're on the road to making big changes for our future. Read our 2019 Work & Impact Report for an overview of our impact this year.
Our Annual Report and Accounts is available to view too, which details how we raised and spent money over the last year.
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Become a Member
Join the community of thousands fighting to transform food and farming - we must act now to protect our health, our natural world, and our climate
Join Us
The Soil Association is registered with the Charity commission for England and Wales, charity number 206862 and with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, charity number SCO39168.
The wholly owned subsidiary Soil Association Certification Limited is run as a not for profit company that as well as helping to delivery parts of the Charity’s strategy also generates financial returns that are ploughed back into the Charity’s wider work.
The Soil Association Land Trust is a charity in its own right, charity number 1121011, established to acquire and maintain farmland sustainably and to connect the public with land stewardship.
