Proud Day As Organic Dairy Co-Op Scoops First Ethical Trade Award

By Steve Dube

Welsh organic dairy co-operative Calon Wen has become the first dairy company in the UK to be awarded the Ethical Trade Organic Standards Certification by the Soil Association. The announcement comes as the Soil Association prepares for its annual conference in Cardiff this week.

Richard Tomlinson, an organic dairy farmer near Wrexham and chairman of Calon Wen said, ‘When we set out almost seven years ago, we wanted to offer something simple – healthy organic milk with a direct link to the farm and the people who produce it,’ he said.

‘As a group of family farmers, it matters to us what we feed our children and how we treat the environment which will one day be theirs. We are proud that this new symbol confirms and recognises our efforts.’

The Soil Association’s scheme aims to ensure fair trading and employment alongside socially and environmentally responsible practices. The certification recognises fair wages, hours of work that are not excessive and a workforce with a say in what goes on.

The standards are significant in an industry where farmers often work long hours, and non-organic dairy farmers are often paid prices below the cost of production.

Calon Wen, a co-operative of 20 organic family farms, produces the first branded organic milk to be sold by a major supermarket. It is on sale in Welsh and border towns at supermarkets including Tesco and Morrisons and independent retailers.

Fresh milk is processed through South Caernarfon Creameries in Gwynedd, and the co-operative also produces organic butter.

‘The Ethical Trade symbol will let everyone that drinks our milk know that our farmers, our farm workers and the people bottling our milk are all benefiting from the sale of our milk and that we are also putting something back into the local community,’ said Mr Tomlinson. The Soil Association’s annual conference, One Planet Agricul- ture, is being held at Cardiff International Arena, January 26 and 27.

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