Horses and other equines - UK Soil Association Organic Standards 2005

Padel, Susanne and Lowman, Steve (2005) Horses and other equines - UK Soil Association Organic Standards 2005. [Organic rules - Differences between other regulations/standards and EEC No 2092/91]

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Summary

Equine animals cannot be certified organic under UK Soil Association Standards. Soil Association standards explain that, although equines cannot be certified as organic within these standards, there are a set of recommendations and requirements for their management when they are kept on organic land. It is recommended that equines are included with other livestock in a clean grazing rotation and to feed them organic or approved feed. There are also further requirements if more than five equines are kept, relating to manure management, avermectin treatment, GMO feeds, health planning and pasture management planning. Equine manure management must be the same as for other non-organic manure. (Soil Association Organic Standards. Subsection 3.8.)

Difference

Soil Association standards do not allow certification of equines, unlike EU Regulation. EU Regulation allows equine animals to be certified organic, and include stocking rate figures for manure management when keeping equines on organic land.

Justification

Equines are very rarely used for any type of production activity on UK farms, so standards to certify them or their products as organic would be redundant. They would probably also be considered offensive to most UK consumers. In this context, some rules are useful to ensure that their presence on organic farms does not compromise the ecological or organic integrity of the land, crops or other livestock.

EU Regulation

Scope - Art.1-3

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