Organic Produce Market Rapidly Expanding

As organic farming methods continue to expand throughout Australia

, it is clear that there is a growing consumer market for fresh produce that has been grown under controlled conditions, using a set of guidelines to ensure that the label organic means the same thing throughout the country. It is important for consumer confidence that any produce labeled as organic is grown under the same conditions, thus ensuring the integrity of both the product and the brand. Australia has had standards for the export market in the 1990s, and these standards were also applied to the domestic market.

With the adoption of the Australian Standard for Organic and Biometric Products, the industry is now working within a co-regulatory system rather than a mandatory or self-regulatory system. The main reason why the industry sectors and the government collaborate for this regulation is to maintain integrity of organic produce and ensure correct labeling of food packaging.

Central to the success of this process is the certifying of the various farms so that consumers can be assured the product is genuine. There are several organizations in Australia that are accredited by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) and no farm will be accredited unless it meets the minimum standard, and in fact, some accrediting organizations require higher standards, depending on their farming practices.

Firstly, a farm plan must be developed which includes details of past and present farming practices. An inspection is then done which includes the taking of soil and crop samples. If these prove satisfactory the farm is certified as in pre-conversion, a process which takes one year. The conversion to A grade organic generally takes three years, and the farm will then have access to all organic markets.

For the side of the consumers, the ability to clearly identify organic produce is the main concern. To this end, a process is under way to develop a national mark or logo which Australia currently doesn't have. Currently the difficulty for consumers is the number of different identifiers signifying free-range, eco, natural and others. Once implemented, identifying organic produce will be very easy for consumers. It will also assist marketing efforts, as the logo can be used on plastic bags.

Much has been achieved in the past two or three years to bring the industry together under defined standards with the cooperation of everyone involved. This major step of the creation of the unified logo is a catalyst of increasing consumers confidence in the integrity of organic products.

by: Eva Judge

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