Soil Association

The Soil Association is the main umbrella group in the UK for organic farmers. It provides organic certification services and advisory support, and promotes organics, to the consumer, and through the government and NGOs.

According to their Web site: "The Soil Association was founded in 1946 by a group of farmers, scientists and nutritionists who observed a direct connection between farming practice and plant, animal, human and environmental health.

"The catalyst was the publication of The Living Soil by Lady Eve Balfour in 1943. The book presented the case for an alternative, sustainable approach to agriculture that has since become known as organic farming."