the role of ‘pressure’ groups emma hockridge policy team
TRANSCRIPT
The role of ‘Pressure’ Groups
Emma HockridgePolicy team
www.soilassociation.org
Overview• What is the Soil Association?• What is a ‘pressure group’?• What is a ‘campaign’?• Practical example of a campaign• Working with others • Conclusions
Soil Association
-History
-Started in 1946: Group of farmers, agricultural scientists & doctors
-‘Healthy Soil, Healthy People, Healthy Planet’
What is a ‘Pressure Group’?
Dictionary entry:pres·sure group
Noun:‘A group that tries to influence public
policy in the interest of a particular cause’.
Synonyms: lobby
What is a ‘campaign’ / what does it mean to ‘campaign/?
Verb: Work in an organized and active way toward a particular goal, typically a political or social one.
A summary of Soil Association charity role
•Work with governments and decision-makers
•Act as the voice of the organic movement
•Educate consumers about sustainable, healthy food choices
Policy and campaigns
•Lead on policy matters important to the industry: sustainable and organic farming, GM, pesticides
•Lobby government on food, farming, health and environmental policies
•Publish reports, for example Soil Carbon that demonstrate contribution of organic to climate change, human health, feeding the world
•Campaigns like Better Nursery Food Now - an expose on nursery food,
Soil Association Certification
- Soil Association Certification Ltd is a subsidiary of the charity which undertakes certification.
-Soil Association Certification is the UK's largest organic certification body, responsible for certifying around 80% of all organic products sold in the country.
- Certify organic food and farming, organic textiles and organic beauty products.
- The Soil Association organic logo on pack is the most recognised in the UK and a guarantee produce meets the highest organic standards.
Education and awareness
•Over 100 open farms – 1M visitors per year
•Over 27,000 public members
•Living Earth magazine
•Supporters e-mail with a circulation of 60,000
Practical Projects
70% of members say their overall
quality of life has improved
MEMBERS TOP MOTIVATIONS...• Sustainably produced food• Healthy high quality food• To support local farmers
Food for Life Catering Mark and PartnershipWorking with over 3,200 schools to promote an improved food culture and better understanding and education of seasonal, local and organic food
Aim is to encourage fresh, healthy meals – organic is not only focus
3 tier award scheme to encourage food that is fresh, healthy, some local and organic and free from harmful additives and trans fats in catering services including restaurants
Over 90 million meals served a year to Catering Mark standards
Example Campaign Hospital Food
•Highlighting positive examples of good practice within hospitals•Pointing out the problems via an independent research report
Outcomes
•Encouraging other hospitals to improve food provision•Further publicise the importance of good food for health•Giving opportunities for farmers to supply
Increasing demands on resources
•Water•Peak oil•Nitrogen fertilisers•Peak Phosphate
Source: White and Cordell
Soil Association future plans
The Road to 2020….
Working with other groups
• con·sen·sus/kənˈsensəs/Noun:General agreement.Synonyms:accord - agreement - unanimity
Conclusions
•Wide range of views •The role of ‘pressure groups’ and ‘campaigns’ is broad•Importance of good research•Working together
