As the Christmas shopping heats up, the Soil Association is making it easy to shop differently for food and gifts and have a sustainable Christmas with a new Organic Christmas Market, as well as exclusive seasonal recipes from top chefs and tips on how to enjoy a festive period that's better for people and the planet.
The Organic Christmas Market is the one-stop shop for everything from delicious foodie treats and gift ideas to wrapping paper and ingredients for Christmas dinner, giving you access to local organic producers and sellers. It's the first of its kind, helping shoppers source organic gifts and produce from the comfort of home.
The Soil Association has also put together its 12 Days of Organic Christmas tips to help people make easy, sustainable choices throughout the holiday season, like making your tree extra green by choosing an FSC Christmas tree or sourcing FSC paper when wrapping your presents. Every small change helps add up to a big difference for people, wildlife and animal welfare. 90% of the 10 million turkeys sold in the UK each year are reared intensively, so if you want to be sure that the meat on your place has been fed a healthy diet, had access to sunshine and the outdoors, then look for the Soil Association logo and choose organic.
Keep an eye out for the Soil Association's "meet the producer" series with the stories behind your Christmas food from Soil Association organic farmesr and growers across the UK, as well as recipes from chefs and foodies throughout the season, which you'll find on the Soil Association's website.
12 Days of Organic Christmas
1.Plan your shop
Save time and money by planning your Christmas food shop in advance and opting for higher-quality organic ingredients.
2. Avoid the Christmas queues
Save yourself from the stress of your high street and source your Christmas essentials and treats from the Soil Association Organic Christmas Market – without having to leave your house.
3. Organic your Christmas dinner
Choosing organic veg means supports sustainable agriculture. Organic farms have 50% more wildlife, support more and better farming jobs, and cause less pollution.
4. Try an organic tipple
Opt for organic wine this Christmas and not only will you be supporting a more sustainable system of farming, you'll also be consuming less sulphur – which is rumoured to lessen the chances of a hangover!
5. Make your tree extra green
Source your tree from a small-scale sustainable grower, or make sure your Christmas tree has Forest Steward Council certification here.
6. Opt for higher-welfare, organic meat
If you want to be sure your turkey is naturally free range, choose organic.
7. Wrap up in organic cotton
Organic textiles are grown without the use of harmful pesticides or GMOs, promoting a healthier farm and environment. Look for the Soil Association logo to be sure the textiles are planet friendly.
8. Be an organic beauty
Your skin is the largest organ on your body and what you put on it can be absorbed in tiny amounts. This Christmas look naturally beautiful and choose organic beauty products.
9. Shop local and green – visit your local farm shop
The Soil Association has an extensive network of more than 150 farms across the UK. Find out where your nearest farm is here and stock up on your Christmas supplies from your local farmer.
10. Wrap your gifts in planet-friendly wrapping paper
Every year we use millions of sheets of wrapping paper – make sure yours is responsibly sourced by looking for the FSC label.
11. Caerphilly does it with your Christmas cheese
When it comes to the all-important Christmas cheese, choose organic and put animal welfare first. No dairy cows enjoy higher welfare standards than organic cows.
12. Join the Soil Association
Become a member of the Soil Association today to support our campaigns for better food and farming, to stop wildlife-damaging pesticides for good and to give kids a healthy eating education.
For more information visit: soilassociation.org
