The government should aim for 10% of farmland in England to be organic or risk 'becoming an outlier' within the UK and Ireland.
Thirteen environmental groups have signed the Soil Association’s open letter to Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner calling for the goal to be implemented.
The letter calls for an 'organic action plan' to be devised, with new strategies to boost production and consumption of organic.
The letter highlights how England has 'fallen behind' Scotland, Ireland and the EU, where farming policy boosts organic production.
Government should act on the 'failings' of previous governments that allowed organic farmland in England to shrink, despite an increase in public demand for organic, the letter says.
Greenpeace, RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, National Trust, River Action and Wildlife and Countryside Link are among the groups that have signed the letter.
Soil Association policy director Brendan Costelloe said: “Government intervention is desperately needed to back healthy and sustainable diets with fairer and shorter supply chains that incentivise nature-friendly farmers.
“An action plan with a 10% farmland target for organic to drive this work forward would deliver significant benefits to the environment, public health, and the resilience of farm businesses.”
The open letter calling for an action plan comes with a policy briefing written by the Soil Association and endorsed by the wider group.
This sets out how organic is the 'gold standard for sustainable farming' and can support in adapting to climate change and delivering healthier soils.
It also details how organic farming can help government to meet its targets on biodiversity, river health, and pesticide reduction.
Labour’s former organic action plan led to a peak in organic farmland in England in 2008 – but this has now fallen by around 30% to just 3% of farmland, and has remained largely static for several years.
In the EU there is a target to increase organic farmland to 25% by 2030, leading to an organic strategy in Ireland that saw organic farmland rise from 1.6% to 5% between 2020 and 2023.
Scotland also has a target to double its organic farmland which has led to a boost in conversion applications over the last year.
The open letter warns that a failure to follow suit means England risks 'becoming an outlier' within the UK and Ireland.
