UK Organic (formerly the Organic Trade Board) has ceased operations, the trade group announced today in a statement.
The Organic Trade Board (OTB) was formed in 2009 with a mission to grow the market for organic in the UK, bringing together producers, retailers and certifiers. In 2011, the OTB created and launched the UK’s first national consumer-facing organic marketing campaign. Match funded by the EU, the £2 million high profile campaign ran across leading consumer and supermarket magazines, as well as on prime billboard sites. Subsequent part-EU-funded promotions included 2017’s ‘Organic. Feed your happy’ campaign, fronted by the DJ Sarah Cox. Following Britain’s exit from the EU, the OTB struggled to secure the level of funding it had previously generated, resulting in lower visibility activity.
Last October the Organic Trade Board was formally relaunched as UK Organic with a pitch to brands and stakeholders to be the marketing agency for the whole sector – and help turn around a “real terms market decline”.
But sufficient funding for UK Organic’s ambitious plans for the sector were not forthcoming. Today, the group announced that it was ceasing operations and that the Soil Association Certification would now lead cross-sector collaboration and awareness-building activities.
Adrian Carne, chair of UK Organic, stated: “Over the last 16 years, UK Organic has delivered a number of highly successful consumer PR and marketing campaigns. These were primarily through a series of multi-million pound EU funding bids, and, more recently, driven by the support of the members. Along with the rest of the Board of Directors, I am very grateful for the commitment of our members, who have enabled us to achieve so much over this time. In a post-Brexit era, and in the absence of EU funding, UKO has not attracted similar funding from the UK Government, which means that the model is no longer viable.
“I am very grateful for the commitment of our members, who have enabled us to achieve so much over this time”
“But to continue the collaborative working, I am delighted that the Board has agreed with the Soil Association Certification, that the team at the Soil Association will take up the mission of uniting the sector, providing PR and marketing campaigns, and seeking opportunities to grow the organic sector.
On behalf of the UK Organic Board, we would like to offer a special thank you to the UK Organic team — especially Cristina, our Managing Director, and Maria Taffurelli, our Membership Manager — for their dedication, passion, and hard work over the past five years. Their leadership and commitment have been instrumental in delivering the work of UK Organic. We are also deeply grateful to all the organisations and individuals who supported our mission, contributed to campaigns, and championed the value of collaboration across the organic sector.”
Dominic Robinson, CEO of Soil Association Certification stated: “I want to convey my heartfelt thanks to the wonderful UK Organic team for their tireless efforts in promoting the organic sector in the UK. There is so much to be proud of having achieved over this time. I want to recognise the personal impact on the team, and reassure the UK’s organic businesses that we are committed to continuing the spirit and mission of our colleagues, as we have worked side-by-side to promote the strong and growing organic market.
“As a Director of the UK Organic Board I am also keen to ensure that the valuable role for cross-sector collaboration in the UK organic community is not lost. Soil Association Certification will take the next 12 months as a listening exercise to understand what organic businesses and other industry stakeholders see as core activities for the UK organic sector. We welcome reflections, insights and feedback from all businesses, brands and retailers interested in continuing to propel the organic market forward at a time when people, nature and the planet most need it.”
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