Wholesome Food Association.

Having decided to leave the Soil Association at the end of May due to financial reasons, we are no longer allowed to refer to ourselves as "organic" or to sell our farm produce as such. Our ethos of farming and food production has not altered however, and so we have joined the Wholesome Food Association.

"The Wholesome Food Association local symbol scheme is a low-cost grassroots alternative to organic certification for people in the UK who are growing, producing, processing or distributing food for sale in their local region."

By joining the WFA we have committed to the following set of principles:-

Our principles

1. Wholesome food is grown and processed using sustainable, non-polluting methods as close as possible to those found in nature.
   • growing methods should nourish and enrich the soil
   • no artificial inputs in the form of synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers
   • pest control should be benign to the overall ecosystem
   • genetic diversity should be maintained, including wild plants and wildlife habitats
   • no genetically engineered seeds or plants
   • animals should be raised using the highest standards of welfare
   • animal feed should be free from pesticides, artificial fertilisers, GMOs and antibiotics
   • herbal, homeopathic or other eco-benign remedies should be used whenever possible
   • renewable sources of energy should be used wherever possible
   • packaging should be recyclable
2. Wholesome food is, wherever possible, traded and consumed within a short distance of where it was grown.
   • people are encouraged to grow at least some of their own food, where space is available
   • close links are encouraged between growers and consumers
   • consumers, retailers and distributors are encouraged to give preference to locally grown food
3. Wholesome food is an integral part of life and community, rather than merely a commodity for profit.
   • control over food supplies should be in the hands of growers and consumers, not corporations
   • food crops and growing methods should take account of local growing conditions, local culture and local needs
   • everyone involved in food production and processing should be able to attain a quality of life which meets their basic needs and allows an adequate return and satisfaction from their work
   • production, processing and distribution of food should be socially just and ecologically responsible
4. We do not set and enforce standards in the same way that organic certification bodies do. Instead, we have adopted a set of principles that address the vital issues of ‘food miles’ and the renewal of local economies and communities.
5. We consider that anyone who produces food according to these principles will be using wholesome, sustainable growing methods, and will also be mindful of the importance of localising food production.

All WFA affiliates are expected to espouse the above principles and apply them in the growing, preparation and processing of all food sold under the WFA symbol.

Copied from the WFA website. Follow the link for more information - http://www.wholesomefood.org/