our 'open gate' policy

Because we want to make the WFA local symbol accessible to even the smallest-scale producers, we keep costs as low as possible. This means that we do not employ inspectors. Instead, we have adopted an 'open gate' policy, founded on trust. 

Growing land and production facilities must be available for viewing at agreed (and reasonable) times by any WFA producer, supporter, WFA director, any retailer or distributor, or any of their customers. 

The minimum requirement for WFA producers is to hold one open day per year. Open days are opportunities to generate more customers among your local community and to form links that may not otherwise occur. They are especially valuable for producers who find it inconvenient to arrange ad hoc visits by customers during normal working hours.

(No food assurance system is 100% secure: if people are determined to cheat, they will find a way. We believe that the great majority of people who join the WFA are trustworthy and fully support our aims and principles, and that by making a public declaration to this effect they are unlikely to risk the shame of exposing themselves to criticism from their peers and neighbours by reneging on it.)