Soil Association responds to Manchester Business School Report

The Soil Association reassured people that organic farming would bring benefits to the environment. The impression given by the report for Defra by the Manchester Business School “Environmental Impacts of Food Production and Consumption” had given the wrong impression.

Only a few impacts of organic farming had been shown in the report, many others were omitted. Some conclusions were based on one single study. The conclusions on carbon emissions, for example, were based on a version of farming not used by organic farmers in the UK. The Association stated that organic farming was about 30 % more energy efficient for producing the same quantity of food. Furthermore, factory farming was considered unacceptable in terms of animal welfare. Heavy drug use and crowded conditions would increase the susceptibility of the poultry to new diseases, which may increase the risks to human health.

The report did not cover other environmental benefits like the protection of biodiversity and the reduction of pesticide pollution, water usage and packaging waste. The Soil Association recommends buying organic, seasonal, local and unprocessed food.

www.soilassociation.org