November 2022 edition of The BUZZ, Organic Aotearoa's monthly newsletter

Hello and welcome to the November edition of The Buzz, OANZ's monthly dose of news from the organic sector and beyond.

The Organic Action Day noise may have subsided; however, the OANZ executive team are still beavering away in the background on several projects, including the compilation of a report outlining where to go next with the Organic Sector Strategy and projects. We'll circulate the final report at the end of November.

We were excited to hear the second reading of the Organic Products Bill was read in the house on 27 October, with the majority of the parties in agreement. We have all been frustrated by how drawn out this process has been; however, it is important to celebrate milestones along the way. Next up for the Bill is the Committee of the Whole House stage, where MPs get another chance to debate the contents of the Bill and the proposed changes.

In parallel, the OANZ Action Group is still meeting regularly to develop the Organic Sector's response to the organic standards being developed. The Advisory Council has had its 1st meeting. This broad group includes representatives across the sector, including community gardens, Te Waka Kai Ora, organic certifiers and exporters. OANZ continues to work with MPI to get the best outcome for the majority of our diverse stakeholders. We want to thank MPI's Shona Scott for all her work behind the scenes to listen to and understand the unique needs of the Organic Sector. We wish her all the best as she takes a break, and we look forward to seeing her again.

Besides the Bill, a lot is happening right now, so please take this opportunity to catch up on all the organic news in the November edition of the Organic Buzz. Thanks to the support of our members for helping to make it all happen. If you are not a member, now is a great time to support our work, hit reply if you are interested in finding out about joining our organisation.

Chris Morrison – Chair 
T: 027 548 1293
E: Chris@oanz.org