Consultation on proposed changes to the livestock standards of the National Standard

Attention

Organic operators and exporters, approved certifying bodies, industry bodies.

Purpose

The department invites you to provide feedback on proposed changes to the National Standard for Organic and Bio-Dynamic Produce Edition 3.8.

The proposed changes relate to the livestock standards and associated appendices and definitions.

Key points

The department and the National Standard Advisory Committee (NSAC) established an expert working group in 2023 to review the livestock standards and associated appendices and definitions in the National Standard for Organic and Bio-dynamic Produce Edition 3.8.

The working group has completed a comprehensive review which included reviewing industry feedback from past ‘closed consultations’ on Have Your Say. The working group has proposed changes to the following sections of the National Standard: 

• Section 1.13 Livestock
• Section 1.14 Conversion of livestock and livestock products
• Section 1.15 Livestock breeds and breeding
• Section 1.16 Livestock nutrition
• Section 1.17 Disease prevention and treatment
• Section 1.18 Livestock welfare (including proposed definitions for ‘anaesthetic’ and ‘analgesic’)
• Section 1.19 Livestock housing
• Section 1.20 Livestock handling
• Section 1.21 Livestock identification
• Section 1.22 Livestock manure (including proposed definition for ‘manure’)
• Section 1.25 Bio-dynamic production
• Appendix D (including proposed new title and tables).

Instructions

To have your say: 

• familiarise yourself with the National Standard Edition 3.8
• familiarise yourself with the National Standard Edition 3.8: Proposed changes document containing the proposed changes to the livestock standards and associated appendices and definitions
• take our survey on Have Your Say to provide your feedback on the proposed changes.

Further information 

Contact OrganicExports@aff.gov.au if you have any queries.