The History of Organic Farming

Three different strands contributed to the founding of organic farming. • Rudolf Steiner delivered a series of eight lectures to a group of farmers in Austria in 1924. These lectures defined biodynamic agriculture and the Demeter symbol was created in 1927 to identify foods grown by these methods. • Lady Eve Balfour was inspired by the work of Sir Albert Howard (on composting and agricultural health) and Sir Robert Mc Carrison (on diet and human health), both working in India. She started the Haughley Experiment on her farm in Suffolk researching the links between the health of soil, plants and animals within different closed systems. Based on this work she wrote The Living Soil in 1943 – the book that stimulated the founding of the Soil Association in...

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Genetically Modified Ingredients- GM

The Soil Association campaigns against the use of genetically modified (GM) ingredients in human and animal food and on the commercial planting of GM crops in the UK. Until there is a ban, then there must be tighter regulations governing the release of genetically engineered organisms into the environment and stringent regulations for clear and informative labelling which identifies the inclusion of all GM ingredients or derivatives in foods. The Soil Association believes that the use of GM has no place in the production of safe and healthy food. Organic farming systems have been designed to produce food with care for human health, the environment and animal welfare. The use of genetically engineered crops is not compatible with this aim. This position is shared...

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