Advice and education

Recent articles

Our advice and education work is part of our wider information programme (see also Events and Information and publications).

The aim of our business-oriented work is to communicate organic principles and best practice and to disseminate technical and market information to producers, consultants, food businesses and others, so as to improve both business performance and the delivery of public goods (climate change, animal welfare, biodiversity etc.). We do this through:

small and large group training and demonstration events, including our annual organic producer conferences, and engagement with the recently launched Participatory Research and Demonstration Network
publications such as the ORC Bulletin and the Organic Farm Management Handbook
working with producers and other to facilitate the sound development of the organic sector primarily in the UK but also internationally
developing the Institute of Organic Training and Advice (IOTA) to ensure consistency of knowledge and delivery across the organic advisory sector
promoting the use of IOTA accredited advisors as the primary source of sound organic advice
since April 2012, IOTA has merged with ORC and we are no longer offering one to one consultancy and advice as a commercial service

Our wider public-oriented education and public relations programme aims to educate and inform students, school children, consumers and civil society more generally about the issues affecting the sustainability of primary food/energy/fibre production and to engage with the media on relevant food, farming and sustainability issues.

The information programme is co-ordinated by Dr Bruce Pearce, Senior Programme Manager, with support from Roger Hitchings, Principal Consultant, and Mark Measures, Director of IOTA.