Behind the eco labels: Leaf Marque

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Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) is an industry funded certification scheme, with standards aimed at encouraging efficient farming systems that look after the land and the rural community. Its underlying objective is to develop farming standards that are above baseline levels, but these are not aimed at meeting organic standards.
 

The standards are based on what LEAF regards as a common-sense approach, combining modern technology with basic principles of good farming practice. It covers areas such as soil management, crop nutrition, pesticide use, pollution control, waste management, water and energy efficiency and the protection of wildlife and landscape. It doesn’t guarantee that food will be organic, non-GM, UK-produced or that animals will have not been intensively reared.

The Ecologist says

The Leaf Marque cannot be reliably used as an assessment of superior ethical or environmental criteria of any food.

This article first appeared in the Ecologist May 2007

To find out the truth behind other Eco Labels click here

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