Overview
Overview
Genuine organic operators are losing to pretenders and are really hurting. To survive, our industry MUST stamp out unfair practices from within our industry and from outside.
Our strategy
Our industry can take a huge step to fix this by August 2025. It is a matter of survival that we do this!
There are three simple steps:
- adopt One Organic Standard that can be recognised by Australian courts and internationally
- implement integrity and conduct measures: for certifiers, auditors, operators, traders
- eliminate non-genuine organic practices from our industry and promote organic farming principles
You can help!
We need your help if you support our One Organic Standard strategy:
- become a supporter or a member
- encourage your certifier to join us in implementing this strategy
- complete this year's survey (link)
We invite your feedback on the strategy to feedback@organicoperators.au.
Join us to help implement this industry strategy!
Next steps
By Nov 2024—Agree with stakeholders to review the AS6000
From Nov 2024—Operator can access AS6000 for free
From Nov 2024—Negotiate with Australian Government to adopt AS6000 for exports
By Aug 2025—AS6000 and the National (Export) Standard are harmonised
From Aug 2025—All certifiers commence certification against One Organic Standard
The Details
The problem
The problem
Australian organic regulation has failed organic operators!
34 years of certification bodies controlling our industry and a focus on the Department of Agriculture to produce domestic regulation has FAILED. Australia has transformed from a world leader in the 1980s to a world laggard.
The system of private industry standards is the root-cause of the industry’s woes. The proliferation of private standards in Australia causes confusion for consumers, leads to certifying bodies competing for clients by weakening their standard, and increases compliance costs for all businesses involved in the production and sale of organic products.
Genuine organic operators are losing to pretenders and are really hurting. To survive, our industry MUST stamp out unfair practices from within our industry and from outside.
Organic Operators Australia has been trying to work with the certifiers and standard owners to improve domestic regulation. But we are being obstructed by entrenched private standards in our push for ONE industry-led domestic standard and better integrity.
We have a developed a One Organic Standard strategy, where the industry can fix most of these issues itself.
Its time for the organic industry to determine its own future!
1. Fix the standard
1. Fix the standard
We need collective action to adopt just one domestic standard recognised by the courts and internationally.
1.1. Appoint a professional standards manager to manage the domestic standard. This will be Standards Australia.
1.2. Harmonise the export standards with AS6000. Encourage the Australian Government to adopt AS6000 as the export standard.
1.3. Provide free access to AS6000 for all OIA Ltd members.
1.4. Improve the standard.
- Incorporate fact-based performance measures and practices in the standard, including in respect of sustainability and biodiversity.
- Align the standard with the policy positions of IFOAM-Organics International.
- Review for consistency with Australian Consumer Law and emerging international requirements for climate-related financial disclosures and sustainability claims.
2. Integrity measures
2. Integrity measures
2.1. Eliminate non-genuine organic practices from our industry. Certifying bodies must be accredited to use AS6000—by the Australian Government for exports and by a recognised accreditor (e.g. JSANZ) for domestic.
2.2. Develop a transition program for organic operators to shift from existing certification to AS6000.
2.3. Mandate the Standards Australia logo on all organic packaging.
2.4. Launch consumer education campaign around certified organic products and the Standards Australia logo.
2.5. Establish ONE register of all certified organic operators and promote its use.
2.6. Implement integrity and conduct measures: for certifiers, auditors, operators, traders.
- Code of conduct, incorporating principals of fairness, respect, transparency, honesty.
- Accreditation program for certifying bodies and auditors, incorporating professional standards.
2.7. Act strategically to effect the enforcement of these integrity measures.
3. Reinforce organic principles
3. Reinforce organic principles
3.1. Promote organic farming principles in:
- resolving the tension between commercial agriculture and promoting sustainability and biodiversity
- aligning values with the Australian community
3.2. Promote regenerative agriculture as being a pathway to organic agriculture.
3.3. Lobby government to reform all forms of agricultural assistance so they are aligned with sustainability and biodiversity objectives.
3.4. Lobby the Australian Government and Rural Development Corporations to ensure organic operators get their fair share of R&D expenditure.
3.5. Establish an organic agriculture research institute to undertake R&D and facilitate information sharing for existing and prospective organic operators.
3.6. Actively lobby:
- in collaboration with like-minded Indigenous and environmental organisations
- to counter campaigns to allow genetically modified organisms into the Australian food chain
- to counter the use of chemicals in agriculture that are harmful to human health and biodiversity
The process
The first step
Modenise the AS6000 so that it can be the One Organic Standard recognised by the courts and internationally.
Subsequent steps
- Free access to AS6000 for organic operators
- Negotiate with Australian Government to adopt AS6000 for export
- All certifiers commence certification against One Organic Standard
- Improved integrity and conduct measures: for certifiers, auditors, operators, traders
- Eliminate non-genuine organic practices from our industry and promote organic farming principles
- Review the AS6000 to be consistent with best practice globally
- Negotiate with all Governments that AS6000 become the mandatory organic standard