The Soil Association was founded in 1946 by a group of farmers, scientists and nutritionists who observed a direct connection between farming practice and plant, animal, human and environmental health.

The catalyst was the publication of a book,The Living Soil, by Lady Eve Balfour in 1943 who began farming in 1920, at Haughley Green, here in Suffolk.

The book presented the case for an alternative, sustainable approach to agriculture that has since become known as organic farming.

The Haughley Experiment, started in 1939, was taken over by the Soil Association in 1947 which for the next 25 years directed and sponsored it. This pioneering experiment was the first ecologically designed agricultural research project, on a full farm scale.

The Soil Association continues in its research today comparing intensive, traditional and mixed farming systems to provide a clearer understanding of how the best of old and new traditions in land husbandry can be combined. It's interests cover the whole spectrum of animal welfare, the environment, human health, international development, and rural culture all with a view to raise awareness about sustainable organic agriculture.