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Services

Market Development

SOPA is heavily involved in supporting the Organic Market Link project run by Caroline Shahin (SAC) which operates a yearly questionnaire to project supplies of beef, lamb and grain that will be available to the organic market place. Also along with the SOPA Classified section on this website, SAC runs an Organic EmailSales mailout on a fortnightly basis. Any queries on the Organic market please phone the Debs Roberts in the SOPA office on 0131 335 6619. SOPA members are also free to advertise on the SOPA website, whether you wish to buy or sell organic produce.

Debs monitors organic market information pertinent to SOPA members' enterprises.

Consultation

SOPA undertakes extensive consultation with Scottish producers in order to represent their views effectively to Scottish Government and other interested bodies.

Inspections

All SOPA organic and In-conversion farms and processing businesses are inspected annually.

To ensure that the SOPA Certification system is functioning correctly, DEFRA carry out annual supervisory inspections of 5% of our membership. DEFRA also inspect the SOPA office systems regularly, to ensure that the audit process is correct and robust. All of these checks ensure that organic food is being inspected properly and has full product integrity to the legal standards.

The SOPA Organic Certification scheme is open to both producers and processors of organic food.