The Organic Directory

This publication is the first joint effort between Green Books and the Soil Association. Both have worked independently up to now but this year, they have pooled their resources and published The Organic Directory. If you eat organically, this book is a must.

The introduction, written by Patrick Holden, Director of the Soil Association, is helpful in explaining the whys and wherefores of organic farming. Did you know that registered organic farms are inspected annually? While their chemical brothers are inspected, on average, once every 35 years. Only 2.5 per cent of farmland in Britain is organic but we can rest assured that the acres expand almost on a daily basis with more and more farmers realising that this is where their future lies. As we have seen the supermarkets dedicating more and more aisle space to organic foods, this is a movement on the increase.

The guide is divided by county and gives entries for suppliers (large and small) of organic goods and services, from producer, wholesaler, retailer to bed and breakfasts and restaurants, where you can expect to be treated organically. The guide is simple to use and there is sufficient information to help the reader decide whether they want to investigate further.

The advice on labelling will ensure that you are buying organic food from a licensed grower. A chapter is devoted to a who's who of groups and registered individuals involved in the organic movement.

For those of you who are net wise, all the information in the book has been put on to their website, www.theorganicdirectory.co.uk , which will go live at the end of October. The information on this site will be constantly updated with new producers joining their serried ranks.

AD
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Publishers Details:
192 pages. £7.95
ISBN 1870098846. Published by Green Books.
2000

If you would like to buy this book, please telephone Green Books, 01803 863260.

For more information on the Organic Directory, visit www.theorganicdirectory.co.uk at the end of October.