Soil Association on air freighted organic food

The Soil Association Standard’s Board decided at a meeting that it would consult on a range of options to tackle the impact of air freighted organic food. It will publish a consultation paper to outline options like labelling produce and carbon offsetting to an outright ban on air freighting. This document will lead to a formal recommendation given to the Soil Association council within twelve months. As an independent certification body, the Association stated that it would introduce whatever measures seemed appropriate, regardless of any actions taken by the British Government or the EU.

Patrick Holden, the Soil Association director, stated that there was a strong demand from the public and many of their licensees to reduce food miles. Even though there was little air freighting of organic produce, he believed that there was an urgent need do make every contribution to curb climate changes. This would be a complex issue, especially for producers in developing countries. The Association and organic farming movement had to continue to lead the way to practical measures to tackle the impact of food production and distribution on climate change and work towards a climate friendly food and farming future.

http://www.soilassociation.org