After my degree from Oxford University (agricultural and forest sciences), I have devoted my working life to organic food and farming. Starting with setting up my own organic farm (with an overdraft limit of £150) I developing it into a successful business over 10 years. I have worked for the Soil Association since 1986. For the first 13 years, this was in its trading subsidiary running the certification scheme, starting with one administrator a small number of part time inspectors, and growing it to 40 full time staff. I established its international reputation and achieved a market share of some 70% of UK organic production and sales. For the last 10 years I have been responsible for all the organic standards within the charity, shepherding through a range of new standards from aquaculture to cosmetics. Most recently I have been active in developing international agreement on standards, in particular the Global Organic Textile Standards and the COSMOS-standard (for cosmetics).
In 1990, I helped found the EU Regional Group of IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) and served as its president until April 2009. It brings together the 300+ member organisations of IFOAM in the EU and EFTA countries and aims to reach common positions to promote to the EU authorities. The organisation has grown from being entirely voluntary to a permanent office in Brussels with eight staff.
