A new Scottish Organic Producer Board, the first of its kind, has been established by Soil Association Scotland to guide the work of the food and farming charity north of the border as the sector sees growth across Scotland. 

Sarah Morbey, owner of Coldwells Farm, Insch, and a certified organic farmer for more than two decades, was unanimously voted in as the first chair of the board and will serve a one-year term.  

The members of the Scottish Organic Producer Board cover a broad and representative range of organic businesses, including mixed livestock/arable, dairy and market garden with a mix of economic models from direct sales to supplying major supermarkets.  

The remit of the board is:

• To provide a "sounding board" for Soil Association Scotland policy and farming programme work
• To advise Soil Association Scotland on current and future priorities for the organic sector in Scotland
• To ensure that Scottish organic farmers, growers and food producers' needs and concerns are addressed by the Soil Association and the wider organic movement. 

The new board will work closely with the Soil Association UK Organic Producer Board (formerly the UK Farmer and Grower Board).  

David McKay, Co-Director of Soil Association Scotland, said:  

"At a time when organic farming is on the rise in Scotland it is now vital we establish a Scottish Organic Producer Board to give a voice to Scottish producers, with strong policy support from the Scottish Government helping to drive six straight years of growth in the land area.  

"We want to strengthen the links between organic producers in Scotland and the Soil Association Scotland charity. We have felt for a long time that it was important to have a Scotland version of the UK board, in recognition of the increasing divergence in agricultural policy and operating context north of the border.  

"The new board will help inform our work across our food and farming programmes and our policy influencing, while flagging key issues affecting the sector in Scotland." 

Sarah Morbey, chair of the Scottish Organic Producer Board, said:  

"It's exciting to see the formation of this board.  As an established Soil Association certified organic farmer myself, I have always looked for better links and understanding of the challenges facing Scottish organic farmers, growers and crofters from the UK Soil Association Producer Board.  

"Scottish Soil Association organic producers will be able to use the board to represent their views for example on organic policy, the market situation, public procurement of organic food and new conditions on payments like the Whole Farm Plans.  

"Our board members are all experienced certified organic producers ready to take forward any concerns, raise key issues and policy ideas Scottish organic farmers and growers may have."  

The members of the Scottish Organic Producer Board are:  

• Sarah Morbey (Coldwells Farm, Aberdeenshire)  
• Ross Paton (Torr Farm, Dumfries and Galloway)
• Reuben Chesters (Locavore, Glasgow)  
• Rachel Ives (Kilburns Farm, Fife)  
• Chris Gospel (CW Gospel, Aberdeenshire)  
• Phil Swire (Balmakewan Farm, Aberdeenshire)  
• Ruth Ashton-Shaw (Low Auldgirth Steading, Dumfries and Galloway)  
• Deborah Richardson-Webb (The Lint Mill, South Lanarkshire)  

Members can be contacted at contact@soilassociation.org