Soil Association announces air freight decision

Earlier this month, the Soil Association found itself in an awkward position over its proposed ban on certifying air freighted food. A decision has now been reached on how to end the standoff between lowering C02 emissions on the one hand, and risking the livelihoods of third world farmers on the other.

In future, it was decided, air freighted food can only be certified organic if it can be shown to meet the Soil Association’s own Ethical Trade standards or the Fairtrade Foundation’s standards. This essentially means that the Soil Association will certify flown-in products, only if it can be shown to deliver genuine benefits for farmers in developing countries.

At present, less than 1% of all organic imports coming into the UK are air-freighted, but bearing in mind that air freighting generates 177 more greenhouse gases than shipping, the Soil Association was right to raise this potentially problematic issue.

Peter Melchett, Soil Association policy director said of the decision: "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. 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.

"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."

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