Between these Parties:

The Organic Trade Board is a forum for business leaders from across the UK’s organic movement. The Soil Association is the UK’s leading environmental charity promoting sustainable, organic production and championing human health and, through its trading subsidiary SACL, is the UK’s leading organic certifier. This Memorandum of Understanding (‘MoU’) records the agreement between the OTB and the SA (collectively ‘the Parties’) to work together to promote organic values and principles in the United Kingdom.

The term ‘organic business’ includes but is not limited to the following: textiles, health and beauty, cleaning & hygiene, and food & beverages, as well as promoting organic related leisure and tourism. We will also work together to promote and enhance public respect for, and trust in, organic principles, production and methods.

I. MISSIONS

The Organic Trade Board’s aims and objectives are:

• To work with members of the organic movement, howsoever certified, to double the value of organic sales in the United Kingdom in the five years between January 2009 and December 2014;
• To communicate the benefits of organic production methods to the public;
• To be a collective body that can speak on behalf of the organic industry to a range of stakeholders including: Government, Consumer Groups and NGO’s;
• To work to ensure that the highest possible organic standards are upheld at all times.

The Soil Association’s aims and objectives are:

• Research, develop, and promote the relationships between healthy people, healthy soils and a healthy planet to:
• Encourage the production of healthy food and other products while protecting and enhancing the environment through the promotion of the highest possible organic standards.
• Work with the public, including families and schools, as well as campaigning through the media, and lobbying the government to raise awareness about sustainable organic agriculture and other production and give specialised support and information to farmers, growers, producers, processors and retailers.

The Parties wish to collaborate to ensure that the benefits of organic principles and production are communicated to the greatest number of people by utilising the resources of the SA in conjunction with the insights and guidance of the OTB.

The parties have entered into this MoU with the mutually specific objective of increasing the market for, and public trust in, organic products and services. This is for the benefit of local, national, and international sustainable production and consumption.

II. PURPOSE AND SCOPE

The Parties will work together to keep key stakeholders informed about developments and opportunities for growing organic markets and deepening public understanding of organic principles.

SA has a programme of events which OTB will support and promote. These include but are not limited to:

• Organic Fortnight
• The Organic Market Report
• Annual Conference
• Attendance at general and specific sales and marketing led fairs

OTB will provide insights and guidance to SA in areas such as:

• The development of standards via the membership of one OTB Director on the SA’s Standard’s Board
• Providing commercially focused materials about the benefits of organic products
• Gaining greater recognition for the organic movement amongst government bodies
• Ensuring legislation is in line to support and maintaining the public’s trust in what organic companies offer
• Developing the supply chain solutions to meet the growing market
• Supporting the growth of the organic market in the UK
• The development of those export support tools that might be useful to help UK organic businesses sell their products abroad – for example, the organisation of ‘Meet the Buyer’ events, website tools, or simple methods of introducing companies to each other.
• Insights into how the organic movement can grow and deepen consumer brand loyalty
• Business briefings and opportunities for businesses to meet

SA and OTB will work together with the goal of getting an OTB member to sit on the SA Council. Any post will be appointed in accordance with the governing policies of SA. Where such governing policies create difficulties with these appointments, SA will endeavour to obtain the required approvals to amend the policies to enable these appointments to be made.

III. COMMITMENTS and OUTCOMES

The Parties agree as follows:

• SA will, in consultation with OTB but in accordance with its recruitment policy and procedure, recruit a Trade Director. OTB will provide SA assistance in the recruitment of the Trade Director via advertising, word of mouth and other outreach. The final decision on who to appoint will be made unanimously by the interviewing panel, which will include at least one representative of the OTB and in accordance with SA recruitment policy. The job description and work plan for the Trade Director will be prepared by the SA and passed to the OTB for review, with the intention of agreeing that they achieve the desired result.
• Once a Trade Director is appointed, the salary of the Trade Director will be funded by the SA as follows:

o Up to £37,500 from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010

o Up to £75,000 per annum from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011

• The Trade Director will be part of the Senior Management Team of SA and will have a vital role to play in determining marketing and communications strategy for SA, insofar as it relates to trade related matters.
• The Parties will seek bridging finance to enable the role of the Trade Director to be fulfilled from early 2009 and will raise such finance in consultation with each other.
• SA will seek to ensure that in all communications it is clear that the employment of a Trade Director is being put in place to support and enhance the work of the whole organic movement and not just for the benefit of its members/licensees.
• OTB will provide the Policy Department of SA with a position statement and background information on all relevant topics where possible.
• The OTB and SA will operate a ‘no surprises’ policy with regards to policy, campaigns, press and events activities
• The OTB and SA senior management teams will commit to an annual bilateral meeting to discuss strategy, proposed financial plans, aims and objectives. A small sub-group will meet quarterly to review the operational progress of the annual plan and report back to the management teams as required.
• OTB will work with SA to facilitate market research being done for the benefit of all members of the organic trade in the UK.
• In consideration of these arrangements, OTB agrees not to seek, independently of SA, any levy-based remuneration from its members. Any and all OTB membership fees will be fixed and set at levels mutually agreed with SA. For the first year, to be reviewed in September 2010, the membership fee shall be £200 for non-SA licensees and £100 for SA licensees.
• In addition to income raised from membership fees and the contribution from the Soil Association, the OTB will also raise funds to support projects as agreed in the strategic and financial plan discussed at the annual bi-lateral meetings and reviewed by the quarterly operational meetings. Approaches to organic businesses and other funders to fund these activities will be agreed in advance by both parties.

IV. RESPONSIBILITIES

Each party will appoint a person to serve as the official contact and co-ordinate the activities of each organisation in carrying out this MoU. The initial appointees of each organisation are:

Organic Trade Board: Lizzie Vann

Soil Association: Roger Mortlock

Each party to this MoU is responsible for its own expenses related to this MoU. If joint meetings are held an acceptable division of resources must be agreed prior to the meeting.

V. TERM

The term of this MoU is for a period of 2 years from the effective date of this agreement and may be extended upon written mutual agreement. It shall be reviewed annually to ensure that it is fulfilling its purpose and to make any necessary revisions. Either organisation may terminate this MoU upon thirty (30) days written notice without penalties or liabilities.

VI. AUTHORISATION

MoU Signature Page