New Zealand’s Parliament passed landmark legislation on 30 March 2023 to protect and regulate the organic sector. The Organic Products & Production Bill is designed to harmonise and enforce organic standards in New Zealand and take us a step closer to a robust and internationally recognised organic standard.

The new law is driven by growing demand for organic products both here and overseas. Consumers want safe, healthy food with high animal welfare standards, that regenerates the land and waterways, and mitigates climate change. Organics ticks all those boxes.

OANZ will continue to work with the Ministry for Primary Industries on the regulations that will underpin the Act, including a national organic standard.

Having a national organic standard that’s recognised by government will help market access for exporters, to existing and new overseas markets. It will also provide certainty for consumers in this country that what’s being labelled and sold as organic, meets this standard.

OANZ and our member organisations have been campaigning for such legislation for many years. There are multiple reasons that a government-mandated national organic standard is necessary. New Zealand’s organic industry already operates with great integrity. However, our lack of a single national organic standard has disadvantaged us in trade negotiations.

Another problem as the organic industry grows is that there is currently no legal protection for the term ‘organic’. The new legislation will require that anyone labelling their products as organic must hold proper third-party certification. Currently, the vast majority of organic-labelled products do hold appropriate certification, but the government does not monitor or enforce against false organic claims.

Media:

RNZ: Long-awaited organics legislation will boost exports

1News: New law to finally set standards for what counts as ‘organic’

Farmers Weekly: Organic bill brings NZ into line with major trading partners

Consumer: Organic claims you can trust: The latest on New Zealand’s organic legislation