WHY ORGANIC

"Real progress cannot happen without the driving force of ideals. It is through the world of work, not just through law or politics, that we will make the good society”
Abraham Maslow, ‘Maslow on Management’

What, Why and How Organic?
“Over 50 years of intensive farming has created serious threats to our health, our countryside, wildlife and animals”
The Soil Association

What is organic?
• Organic is a method of farming livestock and agricultural crops without the use of chemicals such as fertilisers, pesticides and medicines.
• Organic farming helps develop a fertile soil by growing mixed crops and encouraging insects and earth worms to keep the soil healthy, and using other wildlife to act as natural predators of crop pests.
• Genetic modification transfers hereditary information from one species of plant or animal to another. It interferes with something that is not properly understood and may have consequences that cannot be predicted. Genetically modified food cannot be certified organic.

Why are we organic?
• Industrial farming causes serious environmental damage and costs the taxpayer millions. We believe that business has a responsibility to the environment and that organic farming is the only way forward.
• Organic produce tends to be of a better quality with a better taste. Intensive farming and mass production usually produces food that looks good but tastes bland.
• It is healthier; surveys consistently show that levels of chemicals in non-organic foods exceed the legal levels set by government regulations. The effects of these chemical cocktails have not been properly researched yet.

What does organic certification actually mean?
• The Duke of Cambridge has received an organic certification license from the Soil Association Ltd.
• Organic’ is a term defined by law and all organic food production is governed by a strict set of standards and guidelines.
• To be certified by The Soil Association we must keep detailed records of all the ingredients used to ensure a full trail of traceability from food production to table.
• We have an annual inspection and audit of these records. We must maintain the standards required and are subject to random inspections. We pay the Soil Association an annual fee for our certification license.
• Having a certification license provides a guarantee to the consumer that what they purchase and eat is produced and processed organically.

Do you have to be certified organic when catering?

Recently there was a reinterpretaion of the guidelines by the EU and catering has been made exempt. We have always been certified by the Soil Association and do not intend to change our policy on this. We believe allowing companies to police themselves is extremely dangerous to the integrity of the organic movement.