The Soil Association has produced a new set of marketing materials and called on organic box schemes to sign up to its improved veg box finder to help promote organic products in the New Year.
After a tough year for growers, marked by extreme weather conditions,Soil Association Certification said it wanted to give organic producers and box schemes “a helping hand” by launching its ‘Fresh Produce’ campaign for the second year.
The organic certification body has produced new marketing materials for both digital and print that are available free of charge to all organic growers.
The organisation is also encouraging companies to sign up to its upgraded online veg box finder,which helps shoppers find organic, Soil Association-certified veg box schemes local to them.
The campaign aims to highlight the benefits of organic fresh produce to shoppers at a time of year when many turn to fruit and vegetables after the excesses of the festive period.
“With one in three purchases now being made for health reasons, it’s an ideal opportunity to put organic in front of them,” the Soil Association said. “Last year’s campaign increased media and social interest in organic, with visits to Soil Association’s ‘find your local box scheme’ web pages up 50 per cent on the same period in 2017.”
The body’s annual Organic Market Report showed home delivery sales, including box schemes, increasing by 9.5 per cent in 2017, while overall fresh produce sales grew by 6.5 per cent in the same period, ahead of the non-organic market.
Carrots are one of the most popular organic products, with 15.3 per cent of all carrots sold in the UK being organic.
Clare McDermott, business development manager for Soil Association Certification, said: “We’re calling on organic producers to get involved in the Fresh Produce promotion this year to help celebrate the brilliant seasonal fresh produce available at this time of year.
“Throughout January and February, we will be spreading the message that veg schemes are an easy, affordable way to get organic produce into your diet, so producers should register online and make the most of this opportunity.
“We hope that by promoting the benefits of veg box schemes and making them easy to find at a time when shoppers are coming out of the Christmas excess, we can help support the farmers and growers who are working so hard to produce food as it should be.”
To help promote organic produce during the campaign, Soil Association Certification is working with green energy company Ecotricity, which will provide a free sustainability guide to any business looking to build further on its sustainability credentials.
To list your veg box delivery scheme on the Soil Association website, clickhere. Marketing materials can be accessedhere.
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