Chris Atkinson is Head of Standards at the Soil Association based in the UK. His work involves the development of private organic standards and influencing the development of regulations and policies that relate to the production of organic food. He is also a member of the Board of IFOAM Organics Europe – the European umbrella organisation for organic food and farming.

Soil Association was one of the pioneering organisations that developed private standards for organic aquaculture animal and seaweed production in the 1990s prior to the adoption of harmonised European requirements in 2009. Chris chairs the IFOAM EU Aquaculture Expert Group and the IFOAM Aquaculture which brings together those involved in all aspects of organic aquaculture in Europe and around the globe respectively. IFOAM also advocates for and contributes to research projects to support the future development of the organic aquaculture sector.