Scottish Organic Producers Association Ltd

What Scottish Organic Producers Association Ltd does

Scottish Organic Producers Association Ltd (SOPA) is a membership co-operative established in 1988 and registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 (Registration Number SP02278R). Headquartered in Perth, Scotland, SOPA serves as the dedicated organic industry body for Scotland, holding the only UK-approved organic standards specifically developed for Scottish farmers. The organisation represents more organic businesses in Scotland than any other organisation and contracts independent certification activities to OF&G (Scotland) Ltd, a Defra-approved and UKAS-accredited body operating under the legally protected organic certification code GB-ORG-17.

SOPA's core product is a comprehensive suite of organic certification services covering Scottish farmers and growers (cereal crops, fodder crops, livestock, vegetables, wool), food processors (butchery, baking, beverages, box schemes), merchants and wholesalers, livestock auction marts, importers/exporters, and an Evaluation Scheme that approves input products such as soil conditioners, fertilisers and livestock minerals for use in organic systems. Beyond certification, SOPA operates a member services platform including a discounted sampling service in partnership with Lancrop (part of Yara) offering 29 soil, leaf, forage and manure analyses, a bespoke consultancy service covering mentoring and feasibility studies, an AIC-recognised Organic Grain Passports scheme, the Trade Hub member-to-member classifieds directory, and the SOPA Sounds podcast produced with OnFarm.

SOPA monetises primarily through recurring annual membership fees that bundle certification, advice, business support and mentoring, supplemented by certification and inspection fees processed via OF&G (Scotland). The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with member acquisition and retention built around farm walks, the annual conference ("The Road Ahead for Scottish Organics"), the AGM, and content channels including the website, social media and podcast series. SOPA operates with a 5-person staff supported by an 8-member Board of Directors, with no parent company, subsidiaries, acquisitions or external funding rounds disclosed.

Name

Scottish Organic Producers Association Ltd

Legal name

Scottish Organic Producers Association Ltd

Website

https://sopa.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Scottish Organic Producers Association Ltd (SOPA) is a 1988-founded Scottish membership co-operative providing Defra-approved organic certification and member support services to farmers, processors, merchants and exporters across Scotland under certification code GB-ORG-17.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Certification Services

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Certification Services (AFALAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL), Accredited Certification Bodies (CBs) – ISO 22000/FSSC 22000/BRCGS/SQF (AFALACAA)

Keywords

• Organic certification services
• Organic farming standards
• Food processing certification
• Membership cooperative
• Agricultural inspection services

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees that include certification and advice services. Members pay a single fee covering all certification activities and access to Member Services support including free advice, business support, and mentoring.
2. Certification Services: Organic certification services provided through OF&G (Scotland) Ltd for producers, processors, merchants, importers/exporters, and evaluation of approved products. Certification activities generate revenue through annual inspection and audit fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Scottish Organic Producers Association (SOPA) provides Defra-approved organic certification and membership services for Scottish farmers, food processors, merchants, and importers/exporters under the GB-ORG-17 certification code. The co-operative bundles annual organic certification (delivered via OF&G Scotland) with advisory, business support, and mentoring services to members.

Product overview

Scottish Organic Producers Association (SOPA) is a membership co-operative providing organic certification and support services for the Scottish organic industry since 1988. SOPA offers a comprehensive suite of certification services including Organic Certification for Farmers (covering cereals, livestock, vegetables, and wool), Organic Processing Certification for food and drink businesses, Merchants/Wholesale certification, Import/Export certification, Livestock Auction Mart certification, and an Evaluation Scheme for Approved Products. The organization contracts certification activities to OF&G (Scotland) Ltd under Defra and UKAS approval. Alongside certification, SOPA provides member support services including a discounted Sampling Service (in partnership with Lancrop/Yara), Consultancy (mentoring, project management, training), a Trade Hub classifieds platform, and SOPA Sounds podcast series. The organic certification code is GB-ORG-17.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Certification for Farmers

Quantifiable outcome

• AECS Funding: Arable Land receives £755 over five years; Improved Grassland receives £445 over five years; Rough Grazing receives £50.50 over five years; Fruit and Vegetable Land receives £1400.00 over five years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OF&G (Scotland) LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOF&G (Scotland) Ltd is the independent certification body contracted by SOPA to conduct organic inspections and audits. They maintain the SOPA scheme and ensure compliance with Defra and UKAS requirements. All SOPA members are certified independently by OF&G (Scotland) Ltd under organic certification code GB-ORG-17. The relationship is core to SOPA's operations as the certification authority.
• Lancrop (part of Yara)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOPA collaborated with Lancrop (part of Yara) to offer a discounted sampling service for soil, leaf, forage and manures exclusively for SOPA Members. SOPA negotiated discounted rates for analyses and members can send samples free using pre-paid envelopes.
• Robin Appel LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRoger Baird, SOPA board member and organic cereals trader, works in conjunction with Robin Appel Ltd, a respected independent grain merchant based in southern England who trades over 25K tonnes of UK produced organic cereals and pulses.
• OnFarm Podcast ChannelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSOPA Sounds podcasts are produced in conjunction with the OnFarm podcast channel. Anna Davies and the Scene and Herd team record podcasts featuring SOPA members, telling stories of organic farmers, food and drink producers.
• Scene & Herd Marketing & PRminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerScene & Herd Marketing & PR is the external agency responsible for designing and building the SOPA website. They also assist with podcast production and content creation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ECOCERT: Global organic certification body operating across food, cosmetics and textiles; comparable as a much larger incumbent organic certification scheme owner whose UK operations overlap with SOPA's potential cross-border members.
• Control Union: Global certification company providing organic, sustainability and supply-chain certification worldwide; comparable as a broad incumbent offering organic certification that competes with national/regional schemes for international organic trade clients.
• Kiwa BCS: International organic certification body (formerly BCS Öko-Garantie) operating under EU and global organic standards; a broad incumbent offering organic certification comparable in scope to SOPA's but at global scale.

Direct peers

• Soil Association Certification: The largest UK organic certification body, offering Defra-approved organic certification across England, Wales and Northern Ireland — directly competing with SOPA for organic farmer and processor certification contracts in the UK.
• Organic Farmers & Growers (OF&G): Long-established UK organic certification body that is the parent/affiliated body of OF&G (Scotland) Ltd — SOPA's own certification delivery partner — making it both a scheme collaborator and a competitor for organic certification in England and Wales.
• Demeter UK (Biodynamic Federation): UK arm of the international biodynamic certification scheme (Demeter), providing certification for biodynamic/organic producers — closely comparable as a niche, standards-based organic certification body serving UK farms.
• Irish Organic Association: Ireland's leading organic certification body serving farmers and processors under EU organic regulation; closely comparable as a regional/national organic certification scheme with Defra-equivalent regulatory standing.

Regional players

• Quality Welsh Food Certification: Wales-based certification body offering organic and farm assurance certification under Welsh Government schemes — directly comparable as a regional UK organic certification scheme with devolved/national regulatory alignment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/scottishorganic
• Facebookfacebook.com/SOPA.org.uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/scottish_organic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scottish-organic-producers-association-ltd

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Scottish Organic Producers Association Ltd