ARCHIVE: Advisory Committee on Organic Standards (ACOS)

ACOS is a non-executive, non departmental public body (NDPB) comprising of an independent Chair and members drawn from a wide range of interests in organic food (such as producers, processors, distributors, consumers, researchers, enforcement authorities) and those drawn from organisations with a wider interest in environmental matters or in animal health and welfare. Its members are drawn from all countries of the United Kingdom.

Is its remit England only or UK wide?

ACOS is a UK body and with the agreement of the Devolved Administrations and in consultation with them, organic standards are dealt with by Defra for the UK acting as Competent Authority for the purposes of Council Regulation 834/2007.

What does ACOS do?

ACOS fulfils two main functions: the first is to provide the advice noted above on the development and implementation of organic standards. The second, is to assist Defra with its supervision of the control system, in particular the approval and control of the organic inspection bodies which licence individual organic operators. It also has a role in terms of delivering advice on the development of Defra’s organic R&D programme and a more general role in terms of intelligence about the organic sector.