Guidance

Organics sectors: preparing your business

Updated 28 May 2026

Reason for the changes   

The UK government is negotiating an agreement with the EU on the trade and movement of plants, plant products, animals, animal products, feed and food. This is called a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement.

The agreement means Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland will apply certain rules in line with the EU. These arrangements will apply whether or not you trade directly with the EU. It is our intention that the agreement will take effect in mid-2027.

As EU rules change in the future, rules in Great Britain will update too. The UK will contribute to the decision-shaping process on future EU rules that will also apply in Great Britain.

Read more about the benefits in the UK-EU SPS agreement – information for businesses news story.

As negotiations are ongoing, not all details are confirmed at this stage. This includes detailed requirements and the exact timing of when arrangements will change. We recognise that some businesses will take longer to comply and we are committed to working with them to ensure a smooth transition. Further information will be provided following the completion of negotiations.

Why this matters

Organics is included within the SPS agreement and this means that the regulations will be changed to those that are applied in the EU. This is relevant to all organic farmers, growers, processors, manufacturers, retailers, transporters, ports, local authorities and control bodies across Great Britain, whether you export or not.

The outcome of current negotiations and agreement will result in changes to organic standards which may:

• smooth trade opportunities with the EU and change the way you trade
• affect what you produce and how you do this
• affect supply chains

What this means for the organics sector

The agreement will not change the core principles of organic farming or production in Great Britain.

Regulations and certification will still be managed through control bodies and the annual inspection regime will continue. Our underlying aim of protecting soil health and increasing biodiversity, animal welfare and consumer trust within the organic sector will remain the same.

There will be some changes to production methods and trade processes across certain organic commodities including organic livestock, aquaculture, natural flavourings.

What businesses should know at this stage 

Organisations and businesses, including organic farmers, growers, processors, manufacturers, retailers, transporters, ports, local authorities and control bodies are encouraged to continue engaging with the process to be ready by mid-2027.

You can do this by keeping informed through your supply chains and your organic control body.

We will provide updated advice and signpost relevant changes on conclusion of negotiations. You may wish to read current EU organics regulations.

At this stage, you are not expected to make detailed changes. You should consider the changes to requirements and how they could affect your business. The government will provide more detail in summer 2026, including next steps.

What we know now (and what will be confirmed later) 

As negotiations with the EU are ongoing, not all of the details are confirmed at this stage. This information outlines what is known now to help you start planning, with further detail to follow later this year.  

If you breed, rear or produce organic livestock

Poultry farms will be limited in size with new standards for housing, which will include daily access to outdoor range areas as well as natural light sources, controlled climate and adequate space for movement.  

Businesses will need to use organic pullets and there are new rules for breeder flocks and pullets. We will be discussing this with stakeholders. 

There are changes in the proportion of feed that must be produced on farm or locally. The increase in the minimum percentage of on-farm produced feed (or regional) for pigs and poultry is from 20% to 30%, and changes from 60% to 70% for all other livestock. 

If you produce organic pet food

The EU legislation has harmonised the production rules for organic pet food, bringing it clearly within scope of EU organic law by falling into the definition of organic feed. Producers of organic pet food will be required to meet new compositional and processing standards with clear and strict requirements, including tighter limits on permitted non-organic ingredients. 

If you are involved in organic aquaculture

There will be new rules for the production of fish in inland waters, for example stocking densities for perch and stricter rules for the stocking densities of crayfish. We will provide more detail on these changes and others affecting the aquaculture industry in due course. 

If you sell organic produce

Organic products will need updated labelling to include the EU organic logo and the EU statement of agricultural origin. Check regulation 2018/848 Articles 32 and 33 for the use of the logo and Annex V, which contains the logo itself. 

If you process or manufacture products using organics ingredients

Businesses involved in the processing and manufacture of organics ingredients are expected to see some changes. For example, only natural flavours derived from organic ingredients will be permitted. We will provide more detail on this change and others in due course. 

If you are involved in the production of organic plants and crops

There will be stricter requirements for organic seed and plant reproductive material, reducing the use of conventional seeds. We will provide more detail on this in due course. 

The definition of plant reproductive material (PRM) will be expanded. This broader definition captures all forms of vegetative propagation, subjecting them to organic standards including:

• cuttings
• roots
• grafts
• plugs

If you import organic goods into Great Britain from the rest of the world (not from the EU)

You will need to use the EU’s IT system, TRACES NT, to create, manage and submit a certificate of inspection (COI), allowing consignments to be digitally endorsed by third country control bodies. These COIs will then be verified by port health authorities in Great Britain before the organic products can be released onto the market in Great Britain. Further detail will be shared in our next round of guidance.

Importing and exporting

The new SPS agreement is relevant to all businesses and organisations involved in importing and exporting SPS goods between the UK, EU and the rest of the world.

For trade between Great Britain and the EU, the SPS agreement will reduce the requirements for routine SPS documentation and controls. The requirements for export health certificates, phytosanitary certificates and routine border checks for most agrifood goods will be removed.

Alignment with EU rules will mean there will be alignment with the EU’s approach to checks on rest of world SPS trade. Requirements for trade with countries outside the EU will also continue to apply, in line with international rules.

Customs controls will remain.

Great Britain to Northern Ireland movements

Under the SPS agreement, most agrifood goods will not need routine SPS certificates, checks and paperwork when moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

This will mean export health certificates and phytosanitary certificates, and the checks and controls associated with them, will no longer be required.

This will apply to all products that can be moved into the EU, which will include all food for processing, many retail products and, for example, plants for planting, seeds, and used agricultural and forestry machinery. The final restrictions on the movement of certain tree species will disappear.

The Windsor Framework will continue to apply, addressing Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances and safeguarding the Good Friday Agreement. This facilitates Northern Ireland’s dual market access to both the UK internal market and the EU single market.

In practice, the movement schemes set up under the Windsor Framework should no longer be needed, other than potentially for a limited number of goods not covered by the agreement. The Northern Ireland plant health label (NIPHL) scheme will not be needed at all.

Early considerations for your business 

To prepare for the UK-EU SPS agreement, you can now take the following steps:

• sign up for Defra email alerts and the SPS readiness mailing list to receive the latest updates
• check whether the SPS agreement is likely to apply to your business, especially if you produce, handle, move or trade animals, animal products, plants, plant products, food or feed – check how to prepare your business
• review your current supply chains and movements (including domestic movements and movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland) to understand where SPS requirements may apply
• consider where your business currently follows EU rules and where you may have diverged since EU Exit
• speak to relevant partners (for example suppliers, customers, hauliers, vets or certification bodies) about potential future changes
• check with trusted sector organisations or trade bodies for any sector specific advice and updates

There are also some sector-specific actions that you may wish to take: 

• consider whether any of your current practices (for example inputs, records or standards) may need to change
• consider whether this changes how you produce, move, sell or buy goods and what buyers and suppliers may expect from you
• start considering what this could mean for your costs and the time needed to meet requirements, including any potential efficiencies or opportunities
• identify areas where more clarity, information or support may be needed and discuss with your control body, a trusted advisor, industry contact or relevant association if you have one

We are commissioning our Expert Group on Organic Produce (EGOP) to help us better understand impacts on the organics sector and produce guidance.

Exceptions 

The EU has accepted there will need to be areas where the UK will retain its own rules, as set out in the May 2025 Common Understanding. Details of these are subject to the ongoing negotiation. 

The government has been clear about the importance of being able to:

• set high animal welfare standards
• support public health
• support the use of new and innovative technologies

Further information will be provided following the completion of the negotiations.

What happens next 

It is our intention that the agreement will take effect in mid-2027. Some detailed requirements and exact timings of when arrangements will change are still being finalised as part of ongoing negotiations.

Defra will continue to work with the sector to help shape future communications, guidance and support as further detail becomes available. We have set up an SPS Readiness Business Advisory Council, which is now meeting regularly. The council includes major trade associations and businesses.   

The following timeline sets out the expected stages for introducing the SPS agreement and when further information will be published:

• summer 2026 – further details on upcoming changes announced, including on any exceptions and transition periods
• autumn 2026 – detailed guidance and support, including checklists and practical tools, made available
• mid-2027 – agreement takes effect (subject to negotiations)

Further information will be provided following the completion of negotiations.

Stay informed 

We will continue to publish updates as further detail is confirmed. To keep up to date, you can:

• sign up for Defra email alerts and the SPS readiness mailing list 
• engage with your trade body or industry association for sector-specific updates, where relevant

You can also get additional support from other government agencies if you are a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME). Contact: 

• Department for Business and Trade: Ask our export support team at the Department for Business and Trade a question
• Food Standards Agency: Regulated products application guidance