All about Organic September

Hi Sarah! Thanks for taking the time to chat to us, can you tell us a bit about you and your role within Soil Association and the organic industry in general. 

In my role I oversee the work of our Standards team and  I also work closely with the international organic community. I’m particularly involved with IFOAM, the umbrella organisation for the organic movement, both as a member of the World Board and as chair of the IFOAM Organics Europe’s Interest Group of Organic Processors and Traders. We have much to learn from the international organic community when it comes to growing and scaling organic. I oversee the ‘Organic for All’ strand of the Soil Association’s strategy, which seeks to make organic affordable, available and accessible to everyone in society, and I see caterers as playing a key role in achieving the vision of organic for all! 

What does Organic for All mean? 

Making organic ‘for all’ is no easy feat, but we’ve broken it down into three main areas that must be addressed. 

1. Organic must be valued – by the public, politicians, industry, producers etc. To be valued, organic must be understood. From politicians to consumers, the value of organic needs to be known and clearly communicated.  

2. Organic must be supported – financially and practically, to enable the sector to grow and support those wanting to source or buy organic products. 

3. Organic must be available – currently we know there are many barriers to organic being easily accessible, especially in out of home catering settings, due to the high price point and limited supply chain opportunities.  

We’re actively working with key players across the organic sector from farm to fork to unlock organic, and we’re keen to work with more. There are more details on the Organic for All page on the Soil Association website if you’d like to read more and get in touch. 

Can you tell us about Organic September, where it came from and how caterers can get involved? 

Organic September, which is a month-long celebration of all things organic, has grown over the years. What started as a week-long ‘organic harvest’ celebration is now a whole month where the organic movement celebrates the extra care, focus and attention that goes into creating exceptional food and products that are better for people and the planet. The aim is to raise awareness of organic, encourage participation in the organic movement and grow connections between some of the great things happening across the country. 

Organic food is grown in ways that are better for nature (did you know that on average, there’s 30% more biodiversity on organic farms?!), and long-term studies have shown organic farms have healthier soils which store more carbon. Food that’s grown in this way should be a right not a privilege 

This September we want to make it clear that organic is for everyone, and we want people to share their stories about why they love organic.  

Connections are a core part of organic, and this Organic September we want to put a spotlight on some of the great organic connections happening across catering. Have you collaborated with others to bring organic to the table? Or perhaps worked with other chefs or caterers, organic brands, organic farmers or food cooperatives to bring organic to more menus. Let us know your stories and we’ll share them on our Soil Association social media channels and in the media.