What percentage off UK members off the Soil Accociation use
diesel driven machines to seed & harvest there crops ?

And what percentage off Third World small farmers use machines at all ?

Please,could somebody out there supply the answer.

Les - Portugal, Alcobaca,

Dear Jonathan

Your Kenyan interviewee said that air-freight accounts for 1 percent of UK emissions. When looking solely at air freighted fruit and veg from Africa, the figure is much smaller - under 0.1% of the total. A two-page briefing paper is here: http://www.iied.org/pubs/pdf/full/11064IIED.pdf

Best wishes

Mike Shanahan Press Officer International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) , London, UK

This really is ridiculous! How can the Soil Association legitimately think that they can withdraw the organic status that these Kenyan farmers have due to the way that they transport their goods to the UK? What alternative is there for the Kenyan farmers - they should ship their product instead?!!!

And our carbon footprint here is MASSIVE. So penalising a Kenyan farmer for their only way of transporting to us, and a carbon footprint which amounts to much less than what we produce, is beyond common sense.

It's immoral and unfair. Can't people see that people's lives are at stake - IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT MAKING MONEY.

It really makes me sad to think that so many self-interested people control the really important things that can make or break a person's life.

How utterly sad.

Samantha, Luton,

Thank you Jonathan Clayton for bringing the plight of our farmers to the British consumers.
Our voices need to be heard and respected.
The eventual outcome of this heated debate lies squarely in the hands of the same consumers.
The possible ban infringes on the organic principle of fairness....The Principle of Fairness
Organic Agriculture should build on relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the common environment and life opportunities

Fairness is characterized by equity, respect, justice and stewardship of the shared world, both among people and in their relations to other living beings.

This principle emphasizes that those involved in organic agriculture should conduct human relationships in a manner that ensures fairness at all levels and to all parties – farmers, workers, processors, distributors, traders and consumers. Organic agriculture should provide everyone involved with a good quality of life, and contribute to food sovereignty and reduction of poverty. .

Su Kahumbu, Nairobi, Kenya

The whole article beggars belief. To make any sort of worthwhile comparison is quasi impossible as there are too many peripheral factors to take in to account.Playing God indeed !

SYLVIA BARNES, CAUSSINIOJOULS, France

What ever happened to common sense and fairness ?
Let's put our own house in order before before we start pointing a finger at developing countries where people are beginning to find ways of supporting themselves and making a still very basic but regular living. We should be supporting them not making things difficult for them. I cannot believe that the Soil Association is serious about this. Personally I am infuriated by the sight of strawberries from the USA sitting alongside Kentish strawberries in M & S

Caroline Swift, Rochester, Kent

I fail to see what air miles have to do with organic. The whole point of the soil association is about how food is produced not the CO2 footprint. They need to be careful jumping on band wagons like this as they are a charity they may end up finding less people will support them and the industry may create a certification for themselvs. Look at the lion brand for eggs for example. For once I support the supermarkets for buying the produce from these countries. The soil association label is looking more and more like a reason to put the price up rather than anything else. I for one see an SA label and think that will be overpriced what else is there on offer. Maybe Kenya should create a 'grown in Kenya' brand. Some clever advertising around how organic/eco-friendly they are and they could get by without the SA brand.

Kevin, London,

I'm so glad this has been written from the farmers perspective. Surely fairtrade should be the most important consideration when buying our food, followed closely by organic? To be able to buy an item which is both is brilliant. Also, what about all the things which it would not be possible to grow organically in nearer places? People will still want to buy them, so they will still be imported. What madness to take away a rare bonus for these farmers on the west's latest fickle whim!

AC, Cannington, uk

The lot of you have missed the point. This is a consultation for which the Soil Association should be appluaded. A year ago the media were crying about the contradcition between organic and the environmental damge caused by air freight - no mention of African farmers. Now that the Soil Association has actually gone out to explore these issues people are starting to take notice of the social side of the argument.

We cannot underestimate the urgency with which we need to address climate change but when doing so we are going to come across tough decisions. Air freight is exactly one of these challenges and it is impressive the Soil Association are taking it seriously by addressing it through public engagement. Hats off to the Soil Association.

John Goodfoot, Chesterfield, UK

A lot of (most of?) the food is shipped, not airfreighted. Sea freight has minimal per kilo emissions.

Gerald, Edinburgh,

I'm curious where this number of 4kg of emissions to transport 1kg of produce from Kenya to Britain comes from, could you please cite a source in the future? These sorts of statistics are thrown around all the time with no scrutiny (and the fact that this one is far off compared to my own calculations has raised my eyebrows).

Jason Daniels, Brighton,

CO2 fascism strikes again! And can someone tell me what being transported by air has to do with whether or not something is organic? What business is it of the Soil Association how an organic product comes to market?

James Wheeldon, Louth, UK

This is nonsense. The Organic label was to give consumers information about the way food has been grown or prepared and that it is free from the use of artificial additives, fertilisers or pesticides.

This has nothing to do with the way food is distributed. If the Soil Association believes that consumers want information about "food miles" they should develop a suitable label to advise consumers accordingly.

Instead they risk compromising one information system by trying to communicate two, completely different messages.

Nick Winton, London,

This is complete nonsense! "Organic" means that food has been produced without artificial additives - it has nothing to do with how the food is distributed.

The Soil Association are in great danger of confusing the public by extending an excellent system into an area where it doesn't belong.

If they want to establish another grading system for "food miles" that's fine but it should be distinct and different from how the food is produced.

Nick Winton, London,

Is this article a wind up or what? Are you seriously suggesting that the Soil Association has come up with the sad idea of removing the 'organic' label from East Africa produce? Why do they not start nearer home and stop all the produce coming from The Netherlands that is grown in greenhouses that are heated 24 hours a day. Could someone enlighten us on the carbon foot print of a kilo of Dutch tomatoes versus a kilo from Kenya?
Anyway is the Soil Association the recognised authority for this? Under what mandate and from whom?

Iain, London,

The soil association should stick to its job. I want to know if the food is produced organically. How it gets to me is a different issue

Richard, Heathfiels, UK

This is unhelpful to say the least. The Organic label advises consumers about the way the food has been grown - without artificial fertilisers or pesticides.

To include "food miles" or "carbon footprint" will be very confusing as they are completely different issues.

If the Soil Association feels that consumers need information about food miles or CO2 load then they should develop another form of advice rather than compromise an established information system.

Nick Winton, London,

How to make yourself look stupid with one edict!!!!!!! Well done The Soil Association.....after all your good work getting cleaner soils in the UK, some media seeking individual has managed in one statement to damn you in the eyes of the vast majority of UK citizens...... Stick to getting UK soil clean of all the fertilisers and crap that flows into our water before interfering with other countries........

Peter, Midlands, UK

How refreshing to see an article that highlights the plight of the real victims of our current idiotic obsession with CO2. How much more much-needed development in countries such as Kenya will be held up, and how many more people will continue in poverty or be plunged back into it unneccessarily, before this fad passes away?

Stephen Morris, Shrewsbury, UK

The arrogance of Europeans and Brits is unbelievable. This is an excellent example. No wonder the third world hates us (yes, hates us!) It points out that when an agency or process is created to tackle a situation like global warning it hires fanatic, rigid jackasses with no imagination to oversee it and who justify their employment by adopting such nonesensical policies. It's simple: the food is there the markets are here. If you don't fly the produce it would rot by the time it arrived. If the third world can't farm what are supposed to do: have everyone get phd's in computer science so they can service our mortgages? And where do we get our food? Does anyone think that Europe can possibly be self-sufficient in food production? Maybe the US can but Europe and Britain can't.

david, los angeles, california

organic , carbon neural , ethical, fair trade . Ultimately, its all just a silly paradox. People should grow up and stop trying to play God. Just be thankful that we've got food to eat.

phollie, Bromley,

Is this article a wind up or what? Are you seriously suggesting that the Soil Association has come up with the sad idea of removing the 'organic' label from East Africa produce? Why do they not start nearer home and stop all the produce coming from The Netherlands that is grown in greenhouses that are heated 24 hours a day. Could someone enlighten us on the carbon foot print of a kilo of Dutch tomatoes versus a kilo from Kenya?
Anyway is the Soil Association the recognised authority for this? Under what mandate and from whom?

Iain, London,