Soil Association 'gives in' to supermarket lobby over air-freighted organic food

The organic food watchdog has denied claims that its decision to let air-freighted food carry the organic label represents a surrender to the supermarket lobby.

The Soil Association launched a consultation into the environmental damage caused by air-freighting organic produce in 2007, in which an outright ban was considered an option.

It argued that transporting fruit and vegetables by air generated 177 times as much greenhouse gas as sending the same produce by sea.

But the watchdog has ruled out a ban on air-freighted goods, prompting speculation it has caved in to pressure from supermarket chains.