As the only UK charity focused on tackling the problems caused by pesticides, we are pleased to announce our new working relationship with Garden Organic, the country’s leading organic growing charity. Both organisations actively campaign to promote safe and sustainable alternatives to pesticides. Our combined expertise – whether in organic growing (Garden Organic) or in scientific research (PAN UK) – creates a strong voice for those who want their homes, gardens, urban areas and agriculture to be free of dangerous chemicals.
“We are delighted to be working with PAN UK,” says James Campbell, Garden Organic’s Chief Executive. “Their access to scientific research highlights the complexity and dangers of today’s plethora of chemicals available to the non-organic grower. Their campaigning strengths complement our own, so that we can reach a wider and more powerful audience, including local councils and international governments. Together we can speak for the concerned individual who wants a safe, natural growing environment.”
Keith Tyrell, Director of PAN UK added, “PAN UK and Garden Organic are on the same mission – to promote truly sustainable, non-chemical alternatives to pesticides which protect both people and the natural environment. Given Garden Organic’s six decades of experience in organic horticulture, we are incredibly excited to be teaming up with them. Whether it’s lobbying the UK government for stronger support for the organic sector post-Brexit, or working together to make UK towns and cities pesticide-free, our collaboration will strengthen the call for a greener, healthier future.”
Over the coming months, GO and PAN UK will be working together on a number of initiatives, including:
- Celebrating Pesticide Action Week (20 – 30 March 2018)
- Helping to build the movement for a ‘Pesticide-Free London’ – we will be mobilising Londoners to contact their candidates ahead of the city-wide council elections on 3rd May, asking them to pledge to make their borough pesticide-free if they are elected.
- Continuing campaigning for the strongest possible pesticide laws post-Brexit, as well as increased support for non-chemical alternatives including organic.
More about Garden Organic
Garden Organic (formerly known as HDRA, Henry Doubleday Research Association) is the UK’s leading organic growing charity. The charity has been at the forefront of the organic horticulture movement for 60 years and has over 20,000 members across the UK and overseas. Dedicated to promoting organic gardening in homes, communities and schools, the charity encourages people to grow the most sustainable way, and demonstrates the lasting benefits of organic growing to the health and wellbeing of individuals and the environment.
Our charitable work includes the award-winning Master Composter and Master Gardener programmes, where we support volunteers to get out and about in their communities, helping local residents to grow their own organic food, and adopt sustainable home composting practices. We are also involved in a number of school growing projects, helping teachers and school professionals to develop gardening projects that teach children where their food comes from, develop their scientific and environmental awareness and encourage them to eat more fruit and veg.
For more information visit www.gardenorganic.org.uk
We are also the founders and custodians of the world-renowned Heritage Seed Library – a collection of over 800 rare heritage and heirloom vegetable varieties no longer commercially available. We conserve these varieties to protect their valuable genetic resource, and share them with members, creating a ‘living library’.
