I nearly choked on my organic granola when I read Julian Baggini’s article (The big idea: has organic food passed its sell-by date?, 12 December). It was like the last 10 years had passed him by. His misleading commentary doesn’t reflect today’s organic movement or its role driving forward all kinds of nature-friendly farming, and instead risks sowing divisiveness and doubt where there should be collaboration and optimism.
Today’s organic sector is planting seeds of hope and a positive role for agroecological and regenerative farming. Combined, these systems have the power to capture carbon and reap a plentiful harvest of healthy, sustainable food without the levels of chemical pesticides, fertilisers and antibiotics of industrial systems, with their problematic welfare standards.
Organic is the most widespread example of agroecological and regenerative farming; it has evolved over 70 years and comes with a trusted certification stamp. But contrary to Baggini’s criticism of organic standards – which set a clear and consistent baseline so that consumers know the minimum standards they can expect – many farmers go far beyond these. We do believe that organic is the gold standard, but we know that we cannot tackle the combined climate, nature and health crisis in isolation. The Soil Association is proud to celebrate 10 years of its Innovative Farmers programme, which has pioneered farmer-led research across organic, agroecological, regenerative and conventional farming.
And the good news is that this resilient way of farming is the most evidence-based solution for the climate and nature crises, and studies show that it can feed the world a healthy diet. The Ten Years for Agroecology in Europe report, Henry Dimbleby’s national food strategy and Chatham House’s recent sustainable agriculture report challenge misconceptions around high yields and highlight significant inefficiencies in industrial systems. And they don’t ignore the elephant in the room: our diets. We need sustainable diets to allow space for sustainable farming and to tackle the diet-related public health crisis.
Times are hard, but Baggini can afford more optimism about the future of organic food. Its popularity rose by 50% in the last decade, and the trend for sustainable choices is here to stay, not least because organic has a proven role to play in addressing the crises of our times, as affirmed around the world by the likes of the European Commission and the UN.
Sarah Compson
Associate director, Soil Association
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