The Organic Growers Alliance

“We at Handley Organics are proud to be members of the Organic Growers Alliance who’s aims and objectives are set out below”

Aims of the Organic Growers Alliance.

To bring growers together so that through this alliance we have the ability to promote our interests, wherever matters affecting our work are determined, and the means to benefit individually and collectively from opportunities to share our experience of growing and of all that goes with it.
Representation

We will seek to represent the interests of organic growers generally where those interests are influenced or affected, and in particular to the following bodies:

1. • DEFRA
   • ACOS
   • Certifiers
   • Research organisations e.g. HDRA, HDC
   • Regional support centres
   

We will also look to liaise with the horticultural supply trade and with any organisation offering advice, vocational courses etc...
Member Support

As growers we share a mutual craft. What we have in common will always be greater than our differences and we have more to gain by talking to each other than by keeping our distance. The Alliance aims to organise an annual or biennial symposium (conference) and a number of farm walks each year in different parts of the UK. These events will be technical and practical in nature, but the social element will not be forgotten. We will produce an organic horticultural journal dedicated to covering all aspects of organic growing. We will also host a website www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk as a means of immediate grower communication.

Where members have specific problems with officialdom - for instance with a certifier, planning authority or Trading Standards, the Alliance should be looked to for support in presenting their case.
Structure

In order that the Alliance can be effective in its role and responsive to the needs of its members we propose that its organisation and administration be in the hands of an elected committee. Although this might be seen as cumbersome, we believe that only with such a structure (formal but simple, and transparent), can members be properly represented within the Alliance and its continuity ensured.
Membership and Funding

Membership will be open to all who are actively engaged in commercial organic growing. Some outside administrative assistance is possible, however the Alliance will be ultimately reliant on members’ subscriptions for its running costs. We recognise that the small number of organic growers in the UK and the small potential for profit in growing will limit its income. Many of the aims outlined above can be achieved by the application of energy rather than expense. Of course - the greater the membership the greater our resources and the more to be gained for organic horticulture as a whole.