Living Earth - Spring 2021 Members Magazine

Spring 2021

Living Earth

Pesticides An Opportunity for Change

Plant and Share Month Sowing and growing together

COP26 How you can get involved

Issue

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Welcome to the Spring edition of Living Earth e and planting on my Spring is upon us, which for me means getting outsid g your own from last growin of trends the if ring wonde been allotment. I have so much joy (amongst brings own your g growin – year will live on? I really hope so Plant and Share Month, ate celebr we month This . tions!) tribula and trials a few people to sow, grow and share which is a celebration of growing and encouraging 16 as well as growing tips and page on veg with their communities. Find out more continue to increase. own your g growin In uptake the see we’ll tricks. I hope supporters event in January.

I really enjoyed seeing many of you at our first digital basis so watch out for future r regula a on events online We’re hoping to hold more Annual General Meeting our hold to dates in your members’ emails. We can’t wait that you make work the all ate celebr and er togeth come to in person again, find details of this on can you and AGM 2021 our possible. We have fixed a date for 15. page tations to shape the future of So far this year, we’ve been involved in two consul you to each of you who Thank e. chang climate rt suppo to and g food and farmin opportunities to ensure any in part our play to got involved in these – we all need Covid-19. You can read more post es emerg future g farmin and food better a that consultations on page 8. about updates on the pesticides and gene editing

What’s inside this issue P4 Latest impacts & campaign successes What’s been achieved thanks to you P5 Pesticides – An Opportunity for Change Envisioning a pesticide-free future P8 75 Years of the Soil Association Looking back (and forward!) to celebrate our anniversary year P10 Get Involved with COP26 How you can influence this major event

conference has been This year is the big year for climate action. The COP26 change remains more climate on action delayed by the pandemic, but taking about what the climate change more out find you’ll 10, page On ever. than urgent can do ahead of November. conference is, why it’s so important and what you

P12 Letter from America A look to the future of farming in Europe, the UK, and the USA

We hope you enjoy reading this issue and thank you g. for your continued support for nature friendly farmin

P15 Membership News Save the date for our next AGM

P16 Horticulture Corner Ways to get involved with Plant and Share month P18 Recipe for the Season Try this warming dhal from one of our community volunteers P20 Your Lasting Legacy Make a difference with a gift in your Will P22 Meet the Producer We hear from the only organic wine producer inside the M25 P25 Organic Start-Ups How we’re helping new businesses, from the ground up P28 Your Views Matter The Member Survey results are in!

Ollie Merchant-Hall Editor

Contact us on: memb@soilassociation.org 0300 330 0022

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Living Earth: Policy

Living Earth: Policy

THANK YOU Your donations and actions have achieved all this...

YOU'VE

HELPED INCREASE THE ORGANIC MARKET BY 12.6% The latest Organic Market Report from Soil Association Certification (produced in partnership with Triodos Bank) shows that 2020 saw the biggest year-on-year increase in the sale of organic products for 15 years. Representing almost £2.8 billion, this is fantastic news for organic farmers, producers, and businesses. With every purchase of organic food or products you’re voting with your feet to help reduce the use of chemical fertilisers and promoting sustainable, nature-friendly agriculture. Well done!

YOU'RE

CAMPAIGNING TO RADICALLY REDUCE PESTICIDE USE In January the government rushed out a consultation on the future of pesticide use post-Brexit. An incredible 8712 members and supporters signed our pledge which formed part of our larger response to the consultation. See page 5-7 for more on why it’s vital we radically reduce pesticide use.

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YOU'RE

PUTTING CLIMATE FIRST Last summer, we asked you to join us and make your own Climate Declaration for a healthier, greener, fairer future. Thank you to everyone who added their name.

It’s so vital that everyone plays their part in achieving our ambitions for stronger support for our planet. See page 9-10 for advice on how to get your local MP involved in climate action in the build up to the global COP26 Climate Change Conference in November 2021.

PESTICIDES -

An Opportunity for Change Campaigning against the overuse of pesticides is in the Soil Association’s blood. Our history is peppered with victories of banning certain types of these chemicals (see pages 8-9), but our work is far from over. Post-Brexit the UK now has full control over the rules governing pesticide use, and the Government recently ran a consultation on their future use (see ‘Consultations are like buses…’). The UK has an opportunity to create a widely pesticide-free future, so it feels timely to take a deeper look into the many problems that routine pesticide use represents for the climate, the natural world, and our health.

What are pesticides?

‘Pesticides’ are chemicals designed to kill insects and other pests (insecticides), fungal diseases (fungicides) and weeds (herbicides).

The vast majority are used in farming to grow our food, but they are also used in our parks, schools and even our own gardens.

In farms they are being used on a vast scale.

Farmers have become reliant on them and they’ve found their way into our food, our soils, our rivers and our wildlife.

What's the problem with pesticides?

Despite industry claims to the contrary, pesticide use is going up. Highly toxic pesticides remain in use, and crops are being treated more frequently with a greater variety of pesticides than ever before.

There is growing evidence that pesticides become more harmful when combined, a phenomenon known as the cocktail effect.

Some foods have been found to contain up to 14 different pesticides in a single item.

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Living Earth: Policy

‘Ten Years for Agroecology in Europe’ report suggested it would be possible to provide a sufficient and healthy diet to a growing population using ecological farming - without the use of pesticides.

Living Earth: Policy

Modelling an agroecological future In 2019, the ‘Ten Years for Agroecology in Europe’ report (published by the French policy research institute IDDRI) suggested it would be possible to provide a sufficient and healthy diet to a growing population using ecological farming - without the use of pesticides.

This year a UK model will further illustrate how this method of farming can not only feed the population without relying on pesticides, but also tackle the growing issues of climate impacts and wildlife decline.

TO YOUR SUPPORT

What's more, most of the crops commercially available to farmers have been specifically designed for high pesticide use aimed at increasing yields and little else. These kinds of conditions increase the need for pesticides.

Meanwhile pests and diseases can quickly develop resistance meaning crops must be treated more and more often and new, more potent pesticides are eventually needed.

THANKS

The result is farmers are trapped on a ‘pesticide treadmill’ at the mercy of an exploitative system which is monopolised by only a handful of giant chemical companies that have enormous lobbying power over our government.

Pesticides role in a farmland wildlife crash Research indicates pesticides are playing a significant part in the catastrophic farmland wildlife crash. Despite recent success with the banning of neonicotinoids, removing single pesticides in isolation is not the answer. They will simply be replaced.

What is needed now is a farming system that moves away from this reliance on pesticides.

We want the next generation of farmers to grow up without the pressure to put toxic chemicals on their fields, and the next generation of children never to have to eat it. It isn't enough to fight for a ban after ban. We need to break the cycle.

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8712 members and supporters signed our pledge to stand against pesticide use

We know the solution Banning individual pesticides (like neonicotinoids) isn’t the answer. Instead, we need to urgently support farmers to fundamentally change how they farm. This is entirely possible without a reliance on pesticides, as organic farmers worldwide demonstrate. Using these greener farming approaches, known as agroecology, farmers aim to work with nature to create a more balanced system that doesn’t rely on pesticides.

TO YOUR SUPPORT

TO YOUR SUPPORT

Consultations are like buses…

In the early months of 2021, the government has rushed out not one but two consultations on postBrexit rules in the farming sector.

TO SUPPORT FORYOUR YOUR SUPPORT We know there is still much to do, and we are working hard with partners like the Pesticide Action Network to amplify our voices to pressure the government into enacting real and lasting change. It's only with your ongoing support that we’re able to keep up the fight for a pesticidefree future and to help farmers to break the cycle of reliance on these chemicals.

Thank you!

TO YOUR SUPPORT TO YOUR SUPPORT

TO YOUR SUPPORT

In response to the consultation on the future use of pesticides, we were thrilled that 8712 members and supporters signed our pledge to stand against their use. We will keep up the pressure on the Government over the routine use of these harmful chemicals.

In late March we responded to another far-ranging consultation on the deregulation of newer forms of genetic modification that are being referred to as gene editing. The government claims that certain uses of gene editing can be used to mimic conventional breeding and do not require any special regulation, but these techniques are new and evolving and there remains a lot we don’t know about them. The Government’s approach to gene editing addresses the symptoms rather than the causes of wider animal welfare, biodiversity and climate issues, providing a sticking plaster for much bigger problems.

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1946

1953

1972

Soil Association is one of five founding members of IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) to co-ordinate the activities of the organic movement internationally.

1967

– Soil Association first sets standards for organically produced food, giving guidance on animal welfare, soil stewardship and food quality. Farmers are required to sign up to follow a code of practice.

Soil recognised as a ‘public good’ in new post-EU national legislation.

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ORGANIC

Soil Fertility, Food Quality – our first Annual Conference is held.

2020

years of pioneering

The Soil Association is founded following publication of 'The Living Soil' by Lady Eve Balfour, and begins campaigning against the use of pesticides such as DDT.

We are leading a ten-year food, farming, & forestry transition to achieve a sustainable future for all.

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1983

Food for Life founded by SA and Jeanette Orrey, to champion healthy food and cooking skills for school children.

After years of campaigning a full ban of DDT pesticides is implemented in the UK.

2015

1999

EU bans six antibiotic feed additives after long SA campaign.

2003

This year we’re celebrating our 75th anniversary! As we celebrate this milestone we want to look back at a few key moments in our history, marking the successes in our journey so far...

Innovative Farmers launched, putting farmers in the driving seat of agricultural research.

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Living Earth: GREEN News

Living Earth: Green News

Get involved with COP26 What is COP26?

COP26 stands for the 26th annual UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties. It may be the 26th meeting but this is being billed as a major one. It’s so important because it’s five years since the landmark Paris Agreement in 2015 (COP26 has been delayed a year due to the pandemic) which contained many ‘by 2020’ commitments on reducing emissions. COP25 ended in stalemate with a promise to work out the next steps at COP26, so nations will now negotiate the next round of reduction targets and set out how they intend to achieve collective climate goals. Happening 1-12 November 2021 in Glasgow, nations from across the world will decide what are the next major steps to take in the battle against climate change.

The COP26 conference has been delayed by the pandemic, but taking action on climate change remains more urgent than ever Commitments from national governments on reducing emissions are a fantastic first step towards addressing the urgent need for change. The majority of people in the UK see

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climate change as a priority that requires real and sustained action, so to ensure politicians hear our voices we’ve joined The Climate Coalition, a group of over 100 organisations in the UK coordinating a shared message that the time is now for action against climate change.

This is the biggest summit the UK has ever held and will be the first major post-Brexit test of our international credibility. For the first time in four years we have a US president who believes in climate change (a good first step!), and China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has already committed to reducing emissions. These are all good signs but we cannot just rest on our laurels and hope for the best; we set out below what you can do to keep up the pressure on the government to ensure the best outcome for our shared future.

So, what can you do?

Contact your MP and spark a one to one conversation to engage in climate action. We need to up the ambition that our government sets. It’s always helpful to ask for any points you make to be passed on to the President of COP26.

Along with you, our members, we want to highlight the vital need to tackle climate change and make sure that agroecological food and farming is at the heart of the response to climate change.

This is your opportunity to have a say and make change happen

Stand up for our planet

How is the Soil Association is tackling these issues?

Talking to your local MP is one of the very best ways to get your views represented in their work on food and farming policy within their party, and we encourage you to speak to your friends and family (and allotment neighbours or even over the garden fence!) about how they too can get involved.

The more MPs hear from their constituents the bigger the impact will be.

You can find your MP’s contact details at www.theyworkforyou.com.

At the Soil Association, we work to unite farmers, citizens and policymakers around lasting solutions.

We are happy to support you with any information you might need, and we would love to know what your MP's response is. It can be really valuable to our own advocacy work! Hearing from you about your own views about the large-scale change needed is also helpful when influencing policy makers.

It’s vital that everyone plays their part to achieve this transition. So, we are working directly with:

Please get in touch memb@soilassociation.org 0300 330 0022.

Citizens to create change – sharing ideas for ways to make choices that support nature and climate and reconnecting our children with where their food comes from.

This is the most important year for the climate, so please do what you can to get involved and keep in touch!

We know that there is a way forward that will provide a healthy diet for a growing population and allow nature, health and climate to recover. Alongside you, our members, we lobby government to support sustainable farming systems that work with nature, like agroecology and agroforestry.

Farmers on the ground - to support a transition to a more balanced farming system that restores biodiversity, protects natural resources and doesn’t rely on inputs like pesticides.

We are ready to play our part, and we call on you to join us.

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Living Earth: Green Minds

Living Earth: Green minds

Soil Associati Spear House, on, 51 Victoria S Bristol, BS1 treet, England 6AD

Letter from America A guest article from Dr. Charles Benbrook, ED, Heartland Health Research Alliance.

What will new diplomatic relationships between the UK, USA and EU mean for food and farming policy?

Agricultural policy in the UK

We live in tumultuous times. Long-held alliances have been tested and some severed, but a renewal of diplomacy and partnership between the US and EU is as inevitable as the coming spring after this darkest of winters.

In the UK, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has issued a report titled ‘The Path to Sustainable Farming’ which lays out an ‘Agricultural Transition Plan 2021 to 2024’. The report asserts:

While climate change has received the most attention and ink, some of the most consequential Biden Administration actions impacting the food and agricultural arena will occur under the radar.

Already, President Biden has started the process leading to the US joining the Paris Climate accord. He has directed his Secretary of Agriculture to “go big” in investing in Climate Smart Farming. Despite agreement on its definition, soil health has progressed from a murky, fringe concept to a foundational

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attribute of sustainable farming that all stakeholders embrace.

‘By 2028, our aim is that all farmers will be running sustainable businesses that do not need to rely on public subsidy’ and pledges to ‘make things as clear and simple as possible” and ‘fair and reasonable.’ for farmers.

Such a pledge is reminiscent of many made by a former US political leader who has so

ungraciously, but thankfully, ridden into the sunset.

Diversity for climate and nature

Hopefully, EU commissioners and farm leaders paid little attention to the former US Secretary of Agriculture when he predicted doom and deprivation for EU citizens and farmers if the continent rejects ‘modern agriculture’ technology.

On the ag-climate change front, priority needs to be given to diversifying cropping patterns along with the planting of cover crops, to more fully capture the annual solar energy falling on given farm field. Progress toward these goals will also help reduce excessive and wasteful applications of pesticides, fertilizers, and animal manure. Problems stemming from pesticide use triggering unsustainable reliance on chemistry will subside.

I laughed out loud when I read about Secretary Purdue’s assertion that European farmers will fall behind in the race to feed the world if they do not adopt US-style GMO seeds and the associated pesticide-intensive cropping systems. These are the very farming systems that are eroding the economic and environmental sustainability of US commodity farms. The list of damage done includes driving up farmer costs, eroding soil health, and degrading food nutritional quality and food safety.

Change on the way The priority for the Biden Administration is dealing with the pandemic followed by getting the US back into the Paris Accords, and restoring US leadership on global efforts to stabilize the climate. A priority in the food and agriculture space will be dealing with unsustainable levels of federal subsidies for US farmers that are propping up many failing farming systems and technology. Another will be addressing acute, systemic social and environmental-justice issues all along the food value chain.

Agricultural and food policy reform in the US, UK, and EU is bound to be fraught with budgetary, measurement, and political challenges. Fortunately, there is widespread agreement over many important first steps.

These include investing in soil health by increasing soil organic matter, reducing reliance on large feedlots, and expanding support for grazing and grass-based rations for beef, dairy cows, and lamb.

Like in the US, UK and EU taxpayers will increasingly demand that public money is spent in ways that directly support the adoption of farming systems that produce healthier and safer food, and tangible environmental benefits, aka in Europe 'ecosystem services' (see below). Over the last four years, political chaos snuffed out any chance for meaningful policy reform. The next four years need to make up for lost time.

Needed changes on the farm will require serious policy reforms, patience, and realignment of market forces. What new ideas or new coalition will break the policy deadlock?

Where will the wisdom come from to guide change without tearing out the roots needed to sustain it?

Charles Benbrook is currently the Executive Director of the Heartland Health Research Alliance, a new non-profit founded in 2020 to conduct cutting-edge science on the public and environmental impacts of food and farming.

Previously, he served as the Chief Scientist of The Organic Center from 2006-2012.

What are ecosystem services?

In short, they’re the “benefits people derive from ecosystems”, such as water filtration, the pollination of crops, clean air, and the prevention of soil erosion. There are also cultural benefits such as the improvements to our mental and physical health of going out and enjoying our landscapes.

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Living Earth: GREEN News

Published by We want to reach as many people as possible who share our desire for a better world. Sign up and help spread the word.

ate

The magazine for sustainable food and ethical business.

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Living Earth: Green News

Sat 25 Sept 2 021

Notice of Annual General Meeting This year marks the Soil Association's 75th birthday!

News covering food, farming, climate and the environment A regular column from organic farmer and Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson, plus other high-profile columnists and new voices Exclusive interviews

With COP26 climate change conference being so close when we meet in September, we will be continuing our focus around protecting our planet and how we can all get involved in the lead up to the conference in November 2021.

Ethical lifestyle inspiration and seasonal recipes

wickedleeks.com/#join 14

A weekly e-newsletter

Join us @wickedleeksmag

As part of our 75-year celebrations, we’d love to come together with you to celebrate what has been achieved together over the last 75 years and to share our plans for the years ahead.

Quarterly in print

We will of course be updating you on all our work over the past year that’s been made possible by you, our members. The AGM is

also a great opportunity for you to pose your questions to us.

We may well be able to meet in person in September, but look out for further details of venue and timings in your Summer members’ magazine. We’ll be planning for all eventualities.

You can register your interest for this event at soilassociation.org/agm or by phoning us on 0300 330 0022 and we will send further details when we know more.

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Living Earth: Living Well

Living Earth: living well

I’ve just taught my 10-year-old to graft, and he’s super excited to see whether his apple tree will grow.

Horticulture corner:

Plant & Share Ben Raskin is Head of Horticulture and Agroforestry at the Soil Association, co-chair of Defra’s Edible Horticultural Roundtable and sits on the boards of the Organic Growers Alliance and the Community Supported Agriculture Network UK.

Growing fruit and vegetables, like cooking and eating, is so much more fun if you do it with someone else. There are ample opportunities to share when it comes to gardening, even if you aren’t part of a community garden or orchard.

You can club together to buy materials, such as compost, pots, or seed. These can be expensive, and you often end up with more than you need. Splitting the cost can really help and reduces waste too.

One of the greatest gardening gifts going is home saved seed. Though you need a bit more experience to produce your own, you are sure to have somebody that is up for trying this, or maybe they already do. Beans and tomatoes are good plants to experiment with,

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as they generally “self-pollinate” meaning they produce plants of the same variety as you sowed. If there are lots of you saving seed, how about setting up a seed swap.

I always sow more seeds than I think I’ll need.

Some inevitably don’t germinate or grow poorly. If you do this, you are likely to have more plants than you need. Hooray! A chance to give some to your friends. Then you can have friendly competitions to see whose grow better.

Some plants are “perennial” this is a term meaning that they live for more than one season. Plants like mint and oregano spread by their roots and quickly outgrow their pot or garden space. They need to be dug up and split, and a portion of them replanted.

Rather than throw the unwanted plants on the compost heap, how about potting them up and giving them away.

A few plants you can buy are actually lots of plants in one pot. The producers do this as it is a quick way of creating a full plant. Pot-herbs you buy in supermarkets are like this. The problem is that they quickly run out of food in their small pot and become overcrowded.

They will grow much better and last longer if you split them up into maybe 4 clumps and repot. If you don’t need four basil plants, you can give some away.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a garden.

Windows and balconies are perfect for some crops. Tender herbs like basil do well on a sunny windowsill. While salad crops or strawberries work well in bigger pots outside.

Though more biodegradable pots are being sold, there is still a lot of plastic used in gardening. Most keen gardeners will have a stash of old pots they can share, but there are lots of other free alternatives to pots. Almost anything can be used, old yoghurt pots, tin cans, toilet rolls, welly boots. If it will hold compost you can grow in it. Just make sure you put some holes in the bottom to let any excess

water drain out. You could have a rifle through your cupboards and look for old biscuit tins and tupperware that are deserving of a second life.

Don’t forget to share your knowledge and skill too. I’ve just taught my 10-year-old to graft, (a technique for joining one part of a plant to another to get the best qualities of both) and he’s super excited to see whether his apple tree will grow. There are lots of people with a wealth of knowledge about gardening, though they may be shy about offering advice. Check out your neighbours and see who has the most beautiful garden, maybe knock on the door, and ask for some tips?

Finally, don’t worry if things don’t work out. I’ve killed lots of plant in my time but have usually learnt something from the experience. And there is always next year to have another go.

Plant and Share Month Plant and Share Month is a celebration of growing and encourages people to sow, grow and share veg with their communities.

Everyone can get involved – from those with heaps of compost at the ready, to those experimenting with egg box seedling trays on the window ledge for the first time. The idea is to share the joy of growing your own.

For further information please visit www.fflgettogethers.org/plantandshare

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Living Earth: LIVING WELL

Living Earth: living well

Eritrean Dhal Negat Hussein is originally from Eritrea and is now one of the brilliant community cooks at Bristol’s 91 Ways, a project that aims to build a more global city through encouraging people to share their personal food journeys, recipes and passions.

This recipe is for a dhal, a spicey lentil dish from Negat’s native Eritrea. This is a dish Negat cooks regularly at home – it’s quick, easy and popular with her children. Negat’s mum would cook a version of this when she was a child too, and this is Negat’s own spin on the dish using spinach.

This is something that she picked up from her husband, who is from Sudan, where spinach is a common addition to dhal.

Ingredients:

Community cooking at Bristol's 91 Ways

Method

• 400g dried lentils • 250ml of water • 1 medium onion, chopped • 3 teaspoons olive oil • 1 teaspoon salt • 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes • 2 tablespoons tomato paste • 3 cloves garlic, chopped • 3 teaspoons berbere (Eritrean spice mixture. If you don't have this, then use 2 green chillies).

• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder • 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder • 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root or 1 teaspoon dried ginger root • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric • One large bag of spinach leaves

Serves 4 people

1

Bring the lentils to a boil in 1.2L of water and simmer for 20 minutes. When they are done, remove from heat and let sit.

2

In another pot, sauté the onions in olive oil until nicely browned. The longer and more slowly you caramelize the onions, the more developed the flavour will be.

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Add the salt, berbere or green chilli, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and the remaining 100ml of water to the onions. Simmer for around ten minutes.

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Add garlic, spinach, and the lentils (still in their water) to the onion and spice mix. If you want a thicker stew, drain off some of the cooking liquid from the lentils before adding it to the main dish.

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Allow simmering for about 10 minutes.

This stage depends on what you want the final texture of the dish to be, so cook longer for a thicker sauce if you wish.

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Living Earth: Gift Livingin Well your will

All life stems from the soil make protecting it your lasting gift The Soil Association was formed 75 years ago by people who wanted to create a better world. Today, we are wholly dedicated to making that a reality. We know the coming decades will bring extraordinary change to our world and we want to ensure our values help shape the future, every step of the way.

Living LivingEarth: Earth:gift On in the your Ground will

Helen Browning, CEO and Farmer I’ve worked with the Soil Association in so many guises for the last 35 years, because it is the charity which tackles all the issues I care about… the impact industrial food and farming has had and continues to have on wildlife, on animal welfare and human health.

Although we have had many successes, there is still much to do, and I want this vital work to continue.

So of course I have left a gift in my will to the Soil Association, as I am confident they will make every penny count in doing what needs to be done to secure a greener, healthier future for all of us and generations to come.

The Soil Association’s work is based around four key principles: health, ecology, care, and fairness. These principles guide our view of farming not as a way of simply creating food but as a holistic and practical system to work with the natural world, not against it.

By leaving a gift in your Will you are pledging to safeguard the soil so that future generations can farm, eat, and live happily in balance with the environment.

Your gift will protect and preserve the natural world The Soil Association is the only charity in the UK working to improve human health, the environment and animal welfare in a unified way, and we do this because we believe we cannot tackle these issues in isolation.

We couldn't do what we do without the support of people who leave us a gift in their Will. Opposite we hear from our CEO on why she’s chosen to do so.

What your gift will provide By leaving a gift in your Will you’ll ensure that your own commitment to organic food, farming, wildlife, and the environment lives on, at a critical time for the future of the planet.

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Our organic values mean that we care about human health, nature, soil, water, forests, and animal welfare, giving us a unique and unifying voice.

With your help we will continue to lead the debate on the future of food, supporting farmers and growers to produce food as it should be.

Find out more If you would like more information about leaving a gift in your Will to the Soil Association, please get in touch at giftsinwills@soilassociation.org

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Living Earth: on the ground

Case Study

Forty Hall Vineyard

Q What other benefits are there of having the vineyard community led?

Forty Hall is an award-winning, not-for-profit social enterprise, situated in the diverse London borough of Enfield. The project was founded back in 2009 by Sarah in partnership with Capel Manor College who provide the land.

I knew that Paris had a vineyard, I knew there was a vineyard not far from New York City, I’d heard about these urban vineyards and I just thought, why not have one in London? I also knew about the English wine trade really taking off so I just thought, ah! That might be something that would work.

Q Was the vineyard organic right from the beginning?

We set out to be organic right from the beginning because Forty Hall Farm was already certified organic. We had to start out in conversion which means we planted nonorganic plants, however because conversion takes 3 years, and because it’s 3-5 years before you get a crop, by the time we had our first crop in 2013 we were already organic!

Q Was it always important for you to be organic?

It was yes. One of our triple bottom lines is sustainability. The idea is to lower wine miles and to encourage people to drink more English wines, even if it’s only once a year. We want

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Q I guess having the vineyard community led is really helpful when you need all that extra manpower to do those jobs!

Absolutely, yes. All the manual labour done in the vineyard is done by volunteers. Each volunteer is committed to organic horticulture and promoting nature, working all year-round and in all types of weathers to maintain over 14,500 vines.

We speak to wine enthusiast and social entrepreneur Sarah Vaughan-Roberts about what it’s like to run the only commercial organic vineyard located within the M25.

Q Why did you decide to start a vineyard in London?

Living Earth: on the ground

to get people thinking about how a lot of our wines have travelled halfway around the world to get to our tables, when we have delicious, award-winning wines being made right on our doorstep. We also believe that by being organic, what you see growing on the vine is what you should taste from the bottle.

As well as a community organisation, we’re also a health and wellbeing organisation.

By working together on the vineyard our volunteers keep physically active as well as socially connected. They also learn new skills and develop greater self-confidence.

Everyone works together and supports one another – we have a shared goal which is to help build a community where everyone has the opportunity to be happier and healthier.

Q How do you think climate change will affect the future production of the vineyards in this country?

There probably wouldn’t be an English wine industry if it wasn’t for climate change. The temperature zones are moving northwards and the champagne region is going to be too hot in the future to grow quality grapes for sparkling wine as these grapes need a cool climate for best results. Some Champagne Houses are already buying land in the South Downs and in Kent and Sussex to plant vines. I think these changes will mean that the English wine sector is likely to have a strong future.

Want to buy an organic bottle?

Organic wines are widely available across the UK, but one of the best places to find them is in independent retailers.

We are committed to always being mindful of our soil and climate conditions that go on to produce productive vines and top-quality wine.

Nothing artificial is added, either in the vineyard or the wine making process so that they reflect the natural flavours of the grapes and our terroir (the unique characteristics of place, soil and microclimate).

Q What are the challenges you face by producing the wine organically?

Well the management for one! Whereas a lot of vineyards use pesticides to keep the weeds down, we use humans! It is definitely more challenging running an organic vineyard. We have to do what is called canopy management which means keeping the air circulating, stripping the leaves back a bit so that the air and sunshine can get through and stop mould growing.

Every time you buy organic you are supporting pioneers like Sarah, and making a difference to the world we live in.

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Living Earth: GREEN News

Living Earth: Green News

ETHICAL VITAMINS WITH AN

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Start-Up Business Support Package As well as the work we do to campaign for a more sustainable food future for all, Soil Association Certification certifies over 70% of the organic market in the UK. We work with companies big and small, from supermarket chains through to brand-new start-ups just bringing their product to market.

We’re committed to promoting the growth of the organic market, and this starts with supporting young businesses. In February we launched our latest Organic Market Report (with support from Triodos Bank) which showed a huge 12.6% year-on-year increase in organic sales in 2020, as conscious consumers chose environmental and sustainable alternatives to add to their baskets. This is the biggest annual increase in 15 years and represents a market now worth nearly £2.8 billion.

We understand how tough it is to get a startup off the ground, so we’ve partnered with Bread & Jam and Young Foodies to offer an exclusive start-up business support package, to aid new businesses in navigating both organic certification and getting started in the food and drink sector.

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Both Bread & Jam and Young Foodies help support young food and drinks brands in their early days. The British consumer market is huge and complex, and whilst there’s potential for success, many companies struggle.

According to start-up organisation Bread & Jam,

Every year, 16,000 food and drink products emerge into the UK market, and yet 90% of them don’t make it past their first year of trading.

Participants in the scheme will have access to “meet the buyer events”, bespoke business support and marketing webinars, and exclusive discounts on memberships, events and training through Bread & Jam and Young Foodies. Brands signing up for the scheme can, in addition, enter the Best of Organic Market awards in the ‘Best of Organic Food & Drink Start-Ups’ category, thanks to sponsorship from Ocado.

Find out more If you’d like to hear more about the Start-Up Business Support Package, please get in touch via marketingsupport@soilassociation.org

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Living Earth: Our Green Minds Supporters

Living Earth: living well

Book worms Book Club

Celebrating our supporters

At Soil HQ, we love a good read. For this issue we’ve chosen two books that have helped us through the long winter, thinking about the ground beneath our feet and the power of citizen action.

Entangled Life

By Merlin Sheldrake

Remembering Francis Spear, 1931 – 2020 Francis’s great grandfather established J. W. Spear in 1878, and when Francis joined Spear’s Games he worked in a number of different departments before becoming managing director and subsequently its chairman. When the company was sold to Mattel in 1994, Francis set up the Spear Charitable Trust to benefit charities and former Spear’s Games employees.

Francis’s love for the countryside started when he was evacuated to Wales during the second world war. He had a longstanding interest in the environmental movement and had farmland in Hertfordshire. He became a producer member of the Soil Association in 1997 and subsequently through the Spear Charitable Trust supported our work on animal welfare and antibiotics usage, as well as school farmers markets.

Francis’s enduring legacy to the Soil Association will be enabling us to purchase and refurbish our own head office in 2018, helping to secure the organisation’s future. It's named in honour of him and his wife, Hazel.

I will be eternally grateful for his belief in the Soil Association’s work, but above all I felt honoured to get to know Francis a little over the last ten years, and have especially warm memories of taking him around the farm in our old red Landrover; though he was a little infirm, he took such an interest in all we saw.

It was a magical day. A modest and principled man with strong empathy for the natural world, and for people; a very special person.

Helen Browning

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Did you know the world’s largest organism is a giant fungal network?

Entangled Life delves into the fascinating underworld of fungi, lichen, moulds and more, exploring the awe-inspiring interconnectedness of their lives with plants and animals, and how humanity relies on these connections for our survival. This book will change how you look at the world.

A Precautionary Tale

By Philip Ackerman-Leist "A town like any other… except that it had chosen to be different" This book tells the story of Ales, a small town in the Tyrol region of Italy, and how a group of local activists and their forward-thinking Mayor came together to ban pesticides by holding a referendum – making it the first place on Earth to achieve this landmark.

Get in touch with your recommendations If you’re enjoying this section, or would like to share any book ideas, please do get in touch! We’re always happy to hear from our readers, so please do share any books you’ve read that have changed the way you think about your food and where it comes from. memb@soilassociation.org

@soilassociation

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Living Earth: Living Well

Your views matter

Thank you to those of you who completed our members’ survey last year. We were so pleased that so many of you told us what you value as members. We’ve listened to what you want and we’re working on ways that we can better support your needs so that together we can make a world of difference.

Living Earth: Living Well

You told us you’d like more events and talks, support signing petitions and contacting your MP and materials to campaign and help spread the word. Below you will find a summary of what we’re doing now on each of these areas.

Events and talks We held our first digital supporters’ event in January and it was fantastic to see so many of you there. The chat feature, Q&A session and polls were abuzz with your contributions and we’re just sorry we couldn’t answer all the questions! We’re hoping to hold more online events on a regular basis so watch out for future dates in your members’ emails. If you don’t receive these, please do let us know your email address via memb@soilassociation.org.

We can’t wait to hold our Annual General Meeting in person again, to come together and celebrate all the work that you make possible.

We have fixed a date for our 2021 AGM and you can find details of this on page 15.

Signing petitions and active involvement Our voice is stronger when we work together, so for every petition you sign and consultation you respond to, more weight is added to our collective demands to Government.

Over the last few months we’ve encouraged you to get involved in both the pesticide and gene editing consultations run by Defra (the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). It’s so important to have your say and help shape future food and farming policies. We hope that our guides on how you can respond to these consultations are useful. We try to provide suggested responses to answer each of the consultation questions but would always encourage you to add your unique opinion to your submission.

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Materials to campaign with and help spread the word This is an area that we’re currently working on and hope to be able to share some materials in the autumn with a specific focus on climate action ahead of COP26 in November. More from us on this soon!

Assistance contacting your MP Talking to your local MP is one of the very best ways to get your views represented in their work on food and farming policy within their party. You can find your MP’s contact details at www.theyworkforyou.com. We are happy to support you with any information you might need, and we would love to know what your MPs response is. It can be really valuable to our own advocacy work! Hearing from you about your own views about the large-scale change needed is also helpful when influencing policy makers.

We talk about MP conversations to support climate action in the lead up to COP26 on page 10 and 11 and would encourage you all to get involved.

Please get in touch with any further feedback memb@soilassociation.org 0300 330 0022

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