OANZ August BUZZ Newsletter
Kia ora tatou from the Chair
Thank you to all the OANZ Members who attended our Annual General Meeting and afternoon speaker series on 28 August 2020. We appreciate your time and for sharing valuable input and we hope you found the day informative and enjoyable.
I want to especially thank all the past OANZ Members, the individuals who have served on previous Board and sub-committees, as well as our current executive and advisory board members, all of whom have helped OANZ become the national voice for organics in Aotearoa.
We celebrate that despite this being one of the most challenging years for us all, OANZ has had a good year and has made a lot of progress on many fronts. Below are some highlights from this year.
As always, we appreciate your input and comments so please send me your feedback relating to OANZ and our work. Together we can continue to do great things for the organic sector.
Wishing you the very best,
Chris Morrison – Chair
T: 027 548 1293
E: chris@oanz.org
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OANZ Membership Drive
OANZ Membership Drive is in full swing. We are looking for Members who want to help advocate for organics in Aotearoa. Plus, you can take advantage of the exclusive benefits that are available to our members.
Please help us by encouraging others to join OANZ.
There is a lot of good work to be done and a well-supported organisation will allow us to make it happen faster and even better.
Also a reminder to current members: We will be sending out invoices for this year's membership at the beginning of September.
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Organic Products Bill
OANZ Advisory Board Member, and convener of the OANZ Technical Committee, Derek Broadmore gave an update on the Bill and next steps.
Our main focus has been to build on the excellent foundations achieved by the Board in previous years as the draft Organic Products Bill was released and progressed through Primary Select Committee submissions and hearings.
The draft Bill showed a clear disconnect between the Organic Sector’s consultation two years ago and what was written in the draft Bill. The Technical Committee worked with the Sector providing information and insights for OANZ’s and other Sector organisations' own submissions including a formal legal opinion from Buddle Findlay that were all much more aligned to the original consultation outcomes.
OANZ went on to open the Select Committee hearings. We were heartened on one side, to see such passionate participation and common themes coming through the submission process from the Sector and on the other, to see strong cross-party support for the Bill.
Following the Select Committee hearing there were a series of five meetings set up by MPI to further examine the Bill and consult with the Sector. The meetings highlighted the difference in approach from the Sector and MPI, but were very constructive in getting both parties back on the same page.
Derek advised the government is well-informed of the sector’s enthusiasm and unity toward an organic regulation and are eager to work with the Sector to make this happen. It is our understanding that the Select Committee itself is looking for significant changes to the Bill that are more in line with the Sectors’ thinking.
It is most likely further input into the Bill will now occur after the election. The members of the Primary Select Committee may well change and we will have to regroup. It is important we stay engaged with the Primary Select Committee, especially new members, so that our views are not lost, rather they are understood and incorporated into the Bill its supporting regulations and standards development.
OANZ will continue its work advocating for the Sector to get the best Bill we can get, this in part will be by facilitating ongoing Sector input into the process. Stay tuned.
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Communications
Another main area of focus this year has been to raise awareness of OANZ and the Organic Sector. OANZ has re-branded, built a new website, and launched three social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. OANZ online presence has transformed OANZ ability to communicate and move forward, not only as an organisation, but as the unified voice for organics at the national level. Some of our communications goals for this next year include:
Developing opportunities to explore Membership needs and interests and to engage more with each other
Using storytelling to help amplify NZ’s organic story
Developing content covering key industry topics, including how organics plays a role in current legislative policies
Helping manage the reputation and integrity of organics
Exploring the most effective messaging to communicate organic food values
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Regenerative Organics
You will all be aware that Regenerative Agriculture has been getting significant coverage recently as a solution to Conventional Agriculture and the associated negative impacts on the environment.
OANZ is supportive of any movement along the continuum towards Organics and away from chemical farming but unfortunately, Organics has largely been left out of this dialogue. I think you will agree the majority of Certified Organic farmers/ growers have been practicing Regenerative Agriculture since they started. Our collective challenge is to get Organics not only in this discussion but seen as the gold standard for Regenerative - Regenerative Organics.
To help us work out how to do this we have engaged with the Rodale Institute in the US. They are the pioneers of Regenerative Organics and will work closely with OANZ to develop a plan to get ahead of the regenerative organic discussion in the following year. Additionally, OANZ set up a webinar as part of the Pure Advantage Regenerative series with Robyn O’Brien (Advisory Board Member), Scott Lawson (Board Member), and Jeff Tkach (Rodale Institute) discussing the importance of Regenerative Organics.
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Speaker Series
As part of our AGM, we presented an afternoon speaker series of local and international sector specialists. Robyn O'Brien from the OANZ Advisory Board and Jeff Moyer, CEO of Rodale Institute joined us from America with inspiring messages on how New Zealand can nurture and develop the organic sector. They were followed by speakers from MPI — Barbara Kuriger, Chair of Primary Select Committee; Shona Scott, Principal Advisor and Yen Le, Senior Analyst of Market Insights, who presented a positive and encouraging message of New Zealand's Organic Sector in the global market. A huge thank you to all our speakers.
Don't worry if you missed the session, we'll be sending out details on how you can watch the videos on our YouTube channel soon.
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ORGANIC NEWS
You have pesticides in your body. But an organic diet can reduce them by 70%. A new study shows that US families consume cancer-linked glyphosate in their food. The good news: going organic rapidly reduces levels
This woman entrepreneur works with over 50,000 farmers across India to deliver organic food to your doorstep. Shriya Naheta, a first-time entrepreneur is on a mission to create an ecosystem for organic food produce and a collaborative environment for farmers and end customers.
Why Regenerative Organic? Big Agriculture is Broken. Growing food and fiber with industrial methods has devastated our climate. But there’s another way. Patagonia's online advertising campaign with The Guardian.
Organic takes on climate change. The Organic Trade Association released a major report on organic and its ability to mitigate climate change, identifying policy opportunities to elevate the role of organic in the climate change discussion, support organic farmers and encourage transition to organic farming.
Organic vs. conventional: where’s the profit? Farm financial data from the United States Department of Agriculture suggests profits are similar for organic and conventional producers.
Hastings distillery's gin wins gold at International Wine and Spirits Competition. The award-winning Albertine gin, which contains 38 organic botanicals, was praised for its "complex and perfumed nose" by the IWSC judges.
Organic food, fiber & fashion: a conversation with ECOlifestyle pioneer Marci Zaroff. Explore the interconnectedness of food, fiber, and textiles, focusing on the importance of linking agriculture to popular culture, and addressing the biggest trends in organic.
Organic potatoes: Scottish crop put at risk by government ruling. Scotland grows an estimated 70% of the UK’s organic potatoes, which has now been put at risk from blight infection because of a strange ruling by the Scottish Government.
Farmers call for campaign to raise awareness of benefits of organic food. Disappointing sales of organic products have prompted Dutch farmers to ask for value added tax on their products to be scrapped and for a major government campaign to promote consumption.
Navajo Nation sees farming renaissance during coronavirus pandemic. Navajo farmer Tyrone Thompson is on a mission to help people return to their roots. He's even taken to social media to teach traditional farming techniques.
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EVENTS, WEBINARS & RESOURCES
ORGANIC WEEK IS HERE!
Organic Week Aotearoa 2020
Celebrations throughout New Zealand
5 - 13 September | OrganicWeek.co.nz
SATURDAY, 5 SEPTEMBER
Organic Week Safe Food Campaign Stall
8:30 am - 12:30 pm | Thorndon Farmers' Market
Corner Hill Street and Molesworth Street, Thorndon Wellington
Taste the Vintage of the Decade & Get Dirty with Biodynamics
11 am - 4 pm | Wrights Vineyard & Winery
1093 Wharerata Road, Gisborne
9 am - 12 pm | Grandview Community Garden
180 Grandview Road, Nawton, Hamilton
SATURDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER
Seasonal Pulse Spring: Organic Gardening and EcoNation 2020
10 am - 12 pm | Long Breath Farm | Auckland
SUNDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER
Biochar Workshop
2 pm - 3:30 pm | Whangaparaoa Library
9 Main Street, Whangaparaoa
Organic Week Community Garden eBike Tour
9:30 am - 2 pm | Wellington
SOLD OUT - GET IN EARLY NEXT YEAR!
Organic Wine Week
Celebrating organic wine throughout New Zealand
21 - 27 September | Organic Winegrowers NZ
Go Green Expo: Auckland
The Sustainable Lifestyle Show
31 October & 1 November | ASB Showgrounds, Auckland