AN INSPIRING DAY
On Saturday 21st September I attended the Soil Association AGM in Bristol and was really impressed with all I learned. The basic tenet of the Soil Association, as outlined by its Founder Lady Eve Balfour in her 1943 book ‘The Living Soil’, is that the health of soil, crops, animals and humans is indivisible – and requires sustainable and organic methods: currently the world’s chemically farmed top soils are diminishing.
The speakers were positive and go-ahead, giving detailed information on the SA’s many activities, some in co-operation with Duchy Future Farming and the French research organisation IDDRI: combatting the many aspects of the eco crisis; helping end the junk food era with the Food for Life scheme; inspiring more people to choose organic food and methods; achieving a ban on the routine use in agriculture of medically important antibiotics; saving forests from illegal logging; helping to give farm animals a good life; encouraging farmer-led research and field labs; and showing UK climate policy makers how organic methods can counter global warming. There was particular emphasis on the benefits of agroecological farming methods such as agroforestry and the planting of more trees on farms – a win-win all round.
The Soil Association is forging ahead and clearly in excellent hands. However, it could obviously achieve more, and quicker, with more money. Additional members would be a terrific boost to its invaluable work, so do please consider joining – details in their website. They also produce an impressive array of helpful technical books.
See also this website: https://www.soilassociation.org/support-us/saving-the-earth-starts-from-the-ground-up/
Sue Coppard (founder of WWOOF in 1971)
Photo credits:
1: Soil Association
2: Unknown
