Pasture for Life audits now available in conjunction with Biodynamic inspections
The Pasture-Fed Livestock Association (PFLA) which operates the Pasture for Life certification mark has made arrangements for joint audits to be carried out on farms that are operating to both biodynamic and Pasture for Life standards.
The organisation has worked with Organic Farmers & Growers (OF&G) who act as the organisation’s certifiers, to enable inspectors at the Biodynamic Association (BDA) to carry out audits for Pasture for Life compliance during their annual audits.
BDA auditors have been trained and pilot inspections already carried out to ensure processes and procedures are effective. BDA licensees need to make an initial application via the PFLA website and then flag up that they would like the joint inspection.
Stuart Cragg, who is certification manager for BDA and Demeter UK, had this to say:
“The Biodynamic association are proud that we can now offer Pasture for Life inspections alongside our annual Organic & Biodynamic inspections.
Closed fertility cycles and nurturing biodiversity are at the heart of Biodynamic farming principles, and I feel that Pasture for Life certification shares the same good animal husbandry and land stewardship practices.
The Pasture for Life certification mark is a clear straightforward method to give consumers confidence that the food they are buying is good for their health, good for animal welfare and good for the environment.”
Russ Carrington from the PFLA said:
“The PFLA has a small but growing number of members who are BDA certified and so we wanted to make certification to both schemes simultaneously easier for our members. The principles of biodynamic farming are well aligned with pasture-fed farming so we can all benefit from this new development.
We have already made similar arrangements with the Organic Trust who are conducting joint audits for our members in Ireland, and farms certified organic with OF&G can also have joint audits.
As we continue to grow the market for certified pasture-fed produce we are also making sure it is straightforward for farms to gain the certification, as well as support many more to transition away from needing to feed grains.”
Further information about gaining Pasture for Life certification can be found at www.pastureforlife.org
