WHAT IS THE SOIL ASSOCIATION AND WHAT DOES ITS CERTIFICATION MEAN?

When you see the Soil Association logo on a bottle of wine, you are looking at one of the most trusted organic certifications in the world. But what does it actually verify — and why does it matter?

WHAT IS THE SOIL ASSOCIATION?

The Soil Association is the UK's leading organic certification body. Founded in 1946, it is a membership charity that campaigns for sustainable food and farming while also operating one of the world's most rigorous organic certification programmes.

The Soil Association Certification arm certifies over 6,000 businesses across food, farming, and beauty — including wine producers and importers.

WHAT DOES SOIL ASSOCIATION CERTIFICATION VERIFY?

Soil Association certification verifies that grapes were grown according to organic farming standards — without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or artificial fertilisers. For wines certified by the Soil Association, annual inspections verify that the farming practices meet the required standards.

The certification also covers certain aspects of processing and handling, ensuring that the organic integrity of the product is maintained from farm to bottle.

IS SOIL ASSOCIATION CERTIFICATION THE SAME AS EU ORGANIC CERTIFICATION?

The Soil Association operates to standards that meet or exceed EU organic regulations. In practice, Soil Association certification is considered one of the most rigorous and trustworthy organic certifications globally.

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION AT LOCO WINES

All Loco Wines are certified organic by independent certification bodies, including EU organic certification (the Euro-leaf). Our producers in Austria and Spain both operate under certified organic or biodynamic programmes. When we say organic, we mean it — and we can prove it. Shop at locowines.co.uk.