Organic food

Organic food is food produced using traditional, sustainable farming methods and without artificial fertilisers, pesticides, weed killers and other chemicals. In organic farming, animals are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and other drugs that form the foundation of some current intensive farming. Organic farming is based on a modern and scientific understanding of ecology, and also uses traditional methods of crop rotation to ensure soil fertility and to control weeds and pests. 

‘Organic’ is a term defined by law, and all organic food production and processing is governed by a strict set of rules. Organic products must be certified by a government- approved body like the Soil Association, which awards its symbol only to products passing an inspection that shows they conform with its Standards for Organic Food and Farming. 

The Soil Association

This information has been developed in association with The Soil Association - the UK’s leading campaigning and certification body for organic food and farming. The Soil Association also develops and provides practical and sustainable solutions that combine food production and environmental protection and human health. 

The Soil Association has been researching and promoting organic farming as the key to sustainable agriculture since 1946, with the distinctive symbol, now widely recognised as the consumer’s guarantee of organic quality. 

New supporters are welcomed by the Soil Association - a membership-based charity. If you’d like to find out more about the organisation, its publications and interesting books on organic issues, contact:

The Soil Association
Bristol House,
40-56 Victoria Street,
Bristol, BS1 6BY 

Tel: 0117 929 0661 
Fax: 0117 929 2504 

www.soilassociation.org