Bristol, United Kingdom
October 25, 2007
 The
Soil Association’s
Standards Board [1] is today announcing proposed changes to the
Soil Association’s standards to ensure that organic food is only
air freighted to the UK if it delivers genuine benefits for
farmers in developing countries.
In future, air freighted organic food will have to meet the Soil
Association’s own Ethical Trade standards [2] or the Fairtrade
Foundation’s standards. The new air freight standards will also
require our licensees to develop plans for reducing any
remaining dependence on air freight. The details of the proposal
will be open to further consultation during 2008, and will begin
to take effect from January 2009.
The Soil Association believes it is irresponsible for the UK
Government and others to support a trade and development
strategy that is heavily dependant on fossil fuels and which
will further fuel dangerous climate change - predicted to hit
Africa and other developing countries the hardest. The Soil
Association’s goal is to minimise the use of air freight, which
generates 177 times more greenhouse gases than shipping, and
swamps any possible benefits from growing food in an
environmentally-friendly way.[3]
Less than 1% of organic imports come to the UK by air. However,
80% of air freighted organic produce coming into the UK is grown
in low or lower-middle income countries. Being able to export
fresh organic fruit and vegetables provides significant
economic, social and local environmental benefits, often for
farmers with otherwise very low carbon footprints. For a small
number of organic producers there are no available alternative
markets offering the same development returns.
Anna Bradley, chair of the Soil Association’s Standards Board
said:
"It is neither sustainable nor responsible to encourage poorer
farmers to be reliant on air freight, but we recognise that
building alternative markets that offer the same social and
economic benefits as organic exports will take time. Therefore,
the Soil Association will be doing all it can to encourage
farmers in developing countries to create and build organic
markets that do not depend on air freight.
"We also want the public to have clear and meaningful
information about both the environmental and social impact of
air freighted organic food. That’s why The Soil Association is
working with the Carbon Trust and the British Standards
Institute to arrive at a reliable and comprehensive system of
assessing the full carbon footprint of all food. The Standards
Board will consider implementing carbon labelling within our
standards for all organic goods - not just air freighted produce
- when a good scheme is available. [4] In the interim, we will
be publishing information about air freight drawing on the
material we have gathered during the consultation. We will also
now consult on whether and if so what, additional and
potentially interim means are available to provide consumers
with information that will allow them to make informed decisions
- from education to labelling."
Peter Melchett, Soil Association policy director added:
"This far-reaching consultation supports our view that it is
right to continue to allow some organic air freight, but only
with these new and demanding requirements. We know from
experience in more than one developing country that building
organic production on the basis of exports can be an effective
way of developing a much more sustainable local market for
organic food. [5] There’s no doubt that encouraging organic
farming brings very significant environmental and human health
benefits for local people - latest UN statistics show a shocking
60 million people in developing countries suffer pesticide
poisoning incidents each year thanks to non-organic agriculture.
[6]
"We’ve noted the government’s speculative comments in the press
as to what we are or are not going to do. The results of our
very widespread consultation show that most people in the North
and the South say that they only support air freight if it
delivers real environmental and social benefits. The linking of
organic and ethical or Fairtrade standards does that. I
challenge the Government to put their policies where their
rhetoric is, and back this initiative." [7]
Ian Bretman, deputy director of the Fairtrade Foundation said:
"We're very pleased that the Soil Association has acknowledged
the importance of access to markets like Britain for millions of
farmers and workers in developing countries seeking a
sustainable livelihood. And we are delighted that they have
further recognised the importance of Fairtrade as a
complementary system to organic production as a means of
ensuring that trade really does promote long-term sustainable
development. We look forward to working with the Soil
Association to realise the vision of Organic and Fairtrade
becoming the norm for trade with developing countries in
agricultural produce."
The Soil Association’s overall objective is to ensure that
organic food production makes a minimal contribution to and
wherever possible helps curb climate change. This focus on air
freight is part of our ongoing work to assess and reduce the
life cycle impact on the climate of all organic farming and
food. Typically, organic farming uses 30% less energy than
non-organic agriculture. [8]
This proposed change is the result of the Soil Association
Standards Board’s most extensive consultation on our standards,
involving representatives from developing countries,
environmental and development organisations, the general public,
as well as our own members and licensees. [9]
NOTES
[1] The Soil Association Standards Board: has an independent
chair and is charged with consulting on and recommending
standards proposals to the elected Soil Association Council.
[2] The Soil Association Ethical Trade standards: apply to the
whole supply chain, and require fair trading arrangements,
ethical employment relationships including fair pay, and
concrete social and cultural contributions to the local
community or society more widely. Those certified to these
standards can use the Soil Associations Ethical Trade symbol.
Being able to demonstrate compliance with Ethical Trade
Standards (or Fairtrade standards) offers an effective marketing
tool for air freighting businesses in the face of criticism over
their carbon footprint.
Soil Association Ethical Trade standards:
Existing African business using air freight and meeting Ethical
Trade Standards: Blue Skies is a Ghanaian based business that is
dependent on air freight and already meets the Soil
Association’s Ethical Trade standards. Specialising in the
export of pre-cut, ready-to-eat fruit, Blue Skies employs over
1500 people and, through salaries alone, contributes around £2
million to the local economy. In the Central Region of Ghana,
where unemployment is currently 70%, they have created vital
jobs for farmers. Blue Skies’ achievements are seen as a model
for development. In the Central Region the company has provided
access to drinking water and built roads enabling farmers to
trade and send their children to school. Blue Skies’ success is
being used in Rwanda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe to promote
development that adheres to high ethical, environmental and
organic standards. In addition Blue Skies are helping to build
organic skills and understanding in the area, skills which can
be transferred and used more widely as local organic markets
develop.
Ghanaian, Ernest Abloh, chief agronomist for Blue Skies in
Ghana, will be attending the press briefing on Wednesday.
[3] Air freight is the fastest growing form of food transport:
The perceived UK consumer demand for all year round fresh
produce has seen air freight more than double since 1992 (albeit
from a low base) and growth is predicted to continue. Air
freight has become an integral part of the aviation industry.
Less than 1% of organic imports come by air freight, the vast
majority coming by sea, but air freight has the highest global
warming potential of any form of transport. Although less than
1% of the total UK food miles, it is responsible for 11% of the
CO2 emissions from UK food transport. Air freight can generate
177 times more greenhouse gas than shipping.
[4] Labelling: The Soil Association Standards Board agreed
further consulting should be undertaken on the nature and mix of
options available for the Soil Association to take action on
consumer information and for labelling in the short- to
medium-term.
[5] Exports building domestic markets: This summer in Kenya the
East Africa Organic Standard was launched in response to growth
of organic agriculture in Africa and the need to promote
regional trade of organic products. The domestic market in Kenya
now supplies restaurants, grocery shops, tourist lodges, hotels
and now the two largest supermarket chains with organic products
-
http://www.kilimohai.org/standards.html
[6] Incidence of pesticide poisoning in developing countries:
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in Glasgow
last week that 80% of poisoning cases take place in developing
countries, and new work by the FAO (field surveys of
self-reported occupational poisoning in developing countries)
shows that "conservatively, over 60 million people (are)
affected every growing season" and that in the FAO's view, "an
outrageously large proportion of those workers are children who
are often more vulnerable to hazard and are poisoned at work."
Peter Kenmore, Plant Production and Protection Division, UN Food
and Agriculture Organisation, Rome, speaking at the British Crop
Protection Council XVI International Plant Protection Congress
in Glasgow, (16 Oct 2007).
[7] Government calls on Soil Association to ‘leave things as
they are’: Trade & development minister, Gareth Thomas, was
quoted in The Guardian, [22 Oct 2007] ahead of the Soil
Association announcement, speculating, "We oppose a general ban
and we would be pretty worried by a selective ban too as it
would penalise the very people it helps. Our view is the Soil
Association should leave things as they are."
[8] Organic farming’s contribution to curbing climate change:
‘Energy Use in Organic Farming Systems’ (2000) Defra report
OF0182. All other data from: Williams, A.G., Audsley, E. and
Sandars, D.L. (2006) Determining the environmental burdens and
resource use in the production of agricultural and horticultural
commodities. Main Report. Defra Research Project IS0205.
Bedford: Cranfield University and Defra.
[9] Consultation process: Launched in May 2007, the intensive
4-month period of public consultation on air freight, involved
face-to-face discussions and 2 dedicated consultation seminars,
including a key summit with over 100 delegates in July. We
received over 200 written submissions, the majority from members
and general public. We directly consulted nearly 100
representatives from industry, NGOs, and government, and also
consulted Soil Association staff, committees, and council -
receiving 24 submissions from NGOs, 28 from industry and 5 from
government and international agencies. The notes from all these
discussions and submissions were considered as formal
contributions to the consultation.
In addition, the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of
the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations,
commissioned research to look at the social and economic
implications of the Soil Association implementing an air freight
ban.
For more information on the air freight consultation visit:
http://www.soilassociation.org/airfreight
- Original source:
http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/printable_library/NT000275FA
- The
green paper (PDF)
- The last two air freight press releases:
----- 'Soil
Association summit aims to advance discussions on air freighting
organic food' (17 July 2007)
----- 'Soil
Association looks at options to tackle the impact of organic air
freight' (29 May 2007)
-
Summary of the consultation responses received (PDF) |
|
