There are times in the life of an organisation when you know it all makes sense. Looking back over 60 years of our work, it is clear to me that the founding vision of the Soil Association is today more relevant than it has ever been. Our time is now.

The incredible foresight of Eve Balfour and the early founders, to build a public movement based on the links between soil, food and health, remains our inspiration. For the sake of the planet and our ever growing global population, we need to demonstrate that feeding ourselves sustainably is not just possible, but essential.

And unlike many of the responses needed in the face of climate change and energy scarcity, eating sustainably is a lifeenhancing experience. One that is good for the health of you and your family, good for the health of our communities, and good for the very earth we live on. As the challenges we face become more urgent our window of opportunity to effect change gets smaller; we all have a responsibility to act now.

Our Annual Review this year proves that change is inspiring. Establishing the Soil Association Land Trust, securing land for sustainable production, gives a tangible way for us all to invest in the future. The Growing Communities project in Hackney, the only Soil Association certified land within the M25, shows the potential for an urban, sustainable food system. And our leadership of the Food for Life Partnership, supported by the Big Lottery Fund, demonstrates the potential for schools to lead the transformation of food culture in the UK. Looking ahead, the launch of the biggest public campaign in our history makes it clear than we are serious about the scale of change needed. Our focus is on feeding Britain, but our ambition is to grow a powerful, international coalition that can provide practical solutions to the global challenges we face.

Finally I want to pay tribute to the Presidency of Jonathan Dimbleby, who has led the Soil Association for more than a decade through an incredible chapter in our history. In that time the organic market has grown and flourished, giving people the chance to use their own spending power to demonstrate their support for sustainable food and farming. Jonathan's integrity and wisdom have been a critical ingredient in our success. His successor as President, Monty Don, takes over at the beginning of a new journey, one where we need to mobilise citizens to join us and 'be the change' we want to see in the world. Change will not be driven by governments or big corporations, but by a movement of people who want to be part of the solution.