Inside Defra’s EAP Review: Key Learnings for the Organic Sector

Event Date : July 21, 2026

Event Time : 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Event Location : Online

Join this Soil Association and ORC webinar reviewing the evidence for certified organic farming’s contribution to environmental outcomes.

Co-delivered by Soil Association and the Organic Research Centre, this webinar presents key findings from a recent Environmentally Assured Production (EAP) evidence review conducted by the Organic Research Centre (ORC) for Defra – (Cooper et al. 2025), A review of the role of environmentally assured production in supporting environmental goals, and a price and cost benefit analysis. The review provides a robust and timely assessment of the contribution of certified organic farming to environmental outcomes, alongside a clear articulation of current evidence gaps and limitations.

Led by ORC researchers Dr Julia Cooper and Rowan Dumper-Pollard, the session will clearly communicate the review’s main environmental and economic findings to the organic sector and wider stakeholders. It will explore what the evidence does — and does not — currently tell us, and consider the implications for future evidence gathering, policy engagement and sector development.

Meet the speakers:

• Dr Julia Cooper is Senior Researcher in Crop Diversity and Agronomy at the Organic Research Centre specialising in soil science and agroecological systems. Her work sits at the science–policy interface, producing robust, policy-relevant evidence to inform statutory bodies, alongside practical advice, guidance and training for industry and farmers. Her research spans soil health and fertility, crop diversity, organic and regenerative systems, and carbon and nitrogen cycling, with a strong focus on translating science into actionable guidance. She has led and contributed to national and international projects on soil health indicators, regenerative and organic farming systems, nutrient management, novel composting methods, and greenhouse gas mitigation. She was recently made a Fellow of the British Society of Soil Science in recognition of her sustained contribution to soil science research and practice.
• Rowan Dumper-Pollard is the Principal Researcher in Organic Systems at the Organic Research Centre (ORC). He is a socio-economic researcher specialising in organic and agroecological farming systems, with expertise in agricultural economics, farm business analysis, value-chain dynamics and food systems policy. His work focuses on the economic resilience of farming systems and the role of markets, supply chains and policy in shaping business performance and transitions to sustainable land use. He has led and contributed to policy-facing research involving economic modelling and cost–benefit analysis to inform UK food and farming policy.
• Adrian Steele, Organic Sector Development Adviser to the Soil Association, and co-chair of the English Organic Forum, will be chairing the webinar.

Who should attend

The webinar will be of interest to organic farmers, advisors, certification bodies, researchers and policymakers seeking an evidence-based understanding of the role of organic and agroecological systems in delivering environmental goals. There will be opportunity to ask questions to the panel during the webinar.

This webinar is being co-delivered by the Soil Association and the Organic Research Centre.