Air freight consultation- recommendations for standards
The consultation ran from 06 March - 30 May 2008
» download the consultation paper
Air freight - the issues
Air freight is used to bring us out-of-season fresh fruit and vegetables from around the globe that are too perishable to be transported by sea.
Aircraft emissions produce far more greenhouse gases per ‘food mile’ than any other form of transport. Although less than 1% of imported food is air freighted, it contributes 11% of the carbon emissions from UK food distribution. Its use is growing rapidly.
Concerns have been raised over the contribution air freight could have to climate change if this rapid growth continues.
On the other hand, air freight enables producers in developing countries to sell high value, perishable goods to us in the UK, delivering significant social and economic benefits.
Organic principles and standards
The work of the Soil Association and its standards are guided by a comprehensive set of environmental and social principles, including minimising pollution and developing ecologically responsible production, processing and distribution chains, emphasising local systems.
Soil Association organic standards are constantly under development, reacting to new research, technical innovation and public expectation.
In light of our principles and the growing concerns over the contribution of air freight to climate change, the Soil Association has sought to investigate the issues and consider whether the standards need to be amended to help address legitimate concerns over carbon emissions.
The consultation so far
During the summer of 2007, an initial public consultation invited views from individuals and a broad range of organisations on whether or not the organic standards should address the environmental and social costs from transporting organic food by air.
The debate brings together complex issues of climate change, international trade, global justice and development.
The consensus was that the Soil Association's standards should address air freight but any action should not undermine the significant social and economic benefits that trade in organic goods delivers. In particular people told us of the importance of organic farming as a means of alleviating poverty and preventing environmental degradation in developing countries.
As with all potential changes to our standards, the Soil Association’s independent
Standards Board conducted a second public consultation to seek views on how the standards should be amended.
Recommended changes to the standards
The aim of the Standards Board recommendations is to enhance understanding of the social and economic benefits of air freighted organic food, to optimise the benefits that air freighted organic food brings to developing countries and set a trajectory for reducing the use of air freight over time.
The Standards Board recognises there is a difficult balance to strike.
In brief, the Standards Board recommends that:
The recommendations, including the options for how they might be implemented and the associated risks and benefits, are available in full in the consultation paper.
» read the consultation paper
Have your say
We invited comments on the Standards Board recommendations and asked, do you think the recommendations are appropriate and practical? We also sought your views on the related issues of how we might best present consumers with information about the carbon emissions from the production and transport of organic food.
The consultation is now closed but you can still read the recommendations in the consultation paper. The outcome of the second consultation will be annouced soon.
» download the consultation paper [PDF, 110 KB]
Find out more
» Soil Association Ethical Trade standards
» Soil Association air freight consultation feedback statement - summary of the first consultation
» Air freight green paper - the initial consultation paper
» press release, 25/10/07
» press release, 06/03/08
» press release, 17/07/07
» press release, 29/05/07