(pictured are Patrick Holden of the Soil Association and Minister for Food Trevor Sargent, at the IOFGA AGM in 2008: picture copyright Oliver Moore)The Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA) has formally established a co-operative link with the UK's Soil Association.
This means that the largest certification bodies in Ireland and the UK have agreed to work together.
This arrangement will allow IOFGA access to the extensive research and development programme of the Soil Association.
According to IOFGA chair Kate Carmody, accessing Soil Association market information will be especially useful for IOFGA and its membership: �They have a huge up-to-date database of information on marketing which they have allowed us to access.�
The arrangement will also give IOFGA access more information on organic farming and growing, certification and the promotion of organic food.
According to the organisation �this is of growing importance given the increasing complexity of EU regulations governing the organic sector and it will be especially relevant when dealing with the complex requirements of the food processing and manufacturing industry.�
According to Carmody, the arrangement � has come about because of a long standing relationship with the Soil Association. We have essentially the same standards and we always work together. People prefer equivalence, so its logical to have a reciprocal relationship. A lot of companies want the process to be done to the Soil Association standard.�
This new arrangement could mean that product certified in Ireland will be considered equivalent to Soil Association product in the UK. This could eliminate duplication in the inspection and certification process.
�Both organisations will retain their autonomy under the agreement whilst working together in areas of mutual interest� Carmody points out.
From IOFGA's perspective, this will surely be important. The Soil Association are a far larger and better resourced organisation that IOFGA, with a presence in Northern Ireland already.
They are the largest certifier in the UK � their logo appears on 70% of British organic produce. They employ over 180 staff based in their Bristol headquarters, in regional centres and working as certification inspectors across the UK.
Along with certification, the Soil Association also carry out campaign work in a number of areas: they list these as genetic engineering in food; animal welfare; pesticides; threats to wildlife from intensive agriculture; antibiotics; the closure of small abattoirs; the harmful effects of intensive farming on food quality and safety; and finally setting standards to ensure the integrity of organic food and other products.
Genetic engineering/modification (GM) seems to be a particular bugbear of theirs: Helen Taylor, director of marketing and corporate relations with the Soil Association, spoke at the the National Organic conference in November 2006, held in Carrick on Shannon. She suggested that one third of their campaigning budget goes on fighting GM.
As an organisation, they have placed a particular emphasis on the consumer. Two recent high profile issues they have focused on include air freight and what they call one planet agriculture.
A variety of agri-food, consumer, environmental and business/trade interests were involved in the consultation the organisation carried out on air freight. Their decision to couple air freight and fair trade showed their environmental and social justice credentials to many. To others, especially those involved in importing and exporting products, the Soil Association had stepped way beyond their remit
The One Planet Agriculture is a broad sustainability in food campaign, part of their 'beyond organic' focus.
For the organic operator, they are a veritable one stop shop. Along with the full certification service and the marketing, research and development work already mentioned, they also: run 90 demonstration farms; represent and work for various sub sectors within organic from growers to processors; produce the quarterly magazine Organic Farming; and provide numerous specialist resources for business development.
Whilst IOFGA do have a development officer, the magazine Organic Matters and do as much campaigning as they can, in reality certification takes up the vast majority of their time.
However both IOFGA and the Soil Association do have the bigger picture as well as the small individual operator within their self defined remit. So there are sister organisations in essence. Irish organic farmers will surely benefit from the extra resources they now have access to.
IOFGA are here
SA are here
No comments:
Post a Comment