OANZ October BUZZ Newsletter
Kia ora tatou from the Chair
We enter the spring season with an admiration for nature's beauty and a sense of renewal and regeneration. Since the AGM last month, the OANZ Board has been abuzz in activities to help drive the Organic Sector forward, increasing communications, building Membership and opportunities for the Sector to become more engaged.
The team has launched a membership drive, has continued its work on the OANZ 2020 Organic Sector Market Report, is continuing to build digital communications content for the Sector, and organising workshops with international leaders in regenerative agriculture and financing scalable climate solutions.
It's an exciting time to be in the organic industry with both Organic Week and Organic Wine Week creating opportunities to learn and enjoy the diversity of organic products across the country. Ka Pai!
Wishing you the very best,
Chris Morrison – Chair
T: 027 548 1293
E: chris@oanz.org
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.
Green Party's Farming for the Future
OANZ applauds the Green's recommitment to the Organic Sector through its Farming for the Future Plan and its commitment towards the Organic Products Bill that is currently in the hands of the Primary Select Committee.
On Saturday, 12 September, Green Party Co-leader, James Shaw, announced the party’s Farming for the Future Plan, including a $297m fund to support farmers and growers to transition to climate-friendly regenerative and organic practices. The fund commits $37m to assist farmers to transition to organics. The funding would:
Establish an organic farming centre of excellence to lead on-farm research and development of best practice, and fund its ongoing costs. This would likely be in conjunction with an existing organisation such as Lincoln or Massey University ($15m over three years).
Provide a transitional pool of grant funding for farmers and growers to shift to organic practices. This could be used for things like organic certification costs and to help with on-farm costs during the first years of a farm’s transition to become certified organic ($17m over three years).
Reinstate Government funding for organic industry organisations to assist them to grow the sector with increased innovation and development. Funding would be apportioned among applicable organisations ($5m over three years).
View OANZ press release here.
Meet Ehsan Toosi, Director of R&D at True Organic Products
Ehsan Toosi is currently the Director of R&D at True Organic Products, an organic fertilizer manufacturer developing products that encourage the soil’s growth of microorganisms. Ehsan is an individual member of OANZ and is looking for a new employment opportunity in New Zealand. Please feel free to communicate with Mr. Toosi directly at ertoosi@gmail.com.
We caught up with him to explore his unique perspective working as a scientist in the organic industry in the USA. Read the interview here.
Organic Sector Market Report
The OANZ 2020 Organic Sector Market Report is on track and is already providing invaluable insights into the diverse and complex nature of the fastest-growing multi-food sector in the world right here in NZ.
The main survey is out, in-depth interviews are taking place, and preparation for the consumer perception survey is being developed.
If you are a certified organic producer that has received the survey, the sector is counting on you to help collect important data. Please fill out the survey ASAP. We need your input!
The Sector Report will help shape and give credence to decision-makers for the next two years. The approach has been highly collaborative, working closely with MPI, lead rural agencies, sector leaders, commercial and social enterprises, and of course our customers here in New Zealand and offshore.
We are 85% of the way to achieving the required funding to complete our research. If interested in being a sponsor, please contact Brendan Hoare at 027 2888618 or bhoare@buypurenz.com. Without our sponsors, this incredibly important research would not be possible.
Special Thanks to Our Current Sponsors!
Platinum: Ceres Organics, Countdown, Fonterra, Foodstuffs
Gold: KPMG, Lewis Road Creamery
Silver: AsureQuality, BioGro, Organic Winegrowers NZ, NZ Winegrowers
Bronze: BioDynamic Gardening and Farming Association, Chantal Organics, Commonsense Organics, IncaFe, Jersey Girl Organics, Kings Seeds, Organic Traders Association NZ, Pāmu, Selling Solutions, Zespri
Pledges: Berrysmith Foundation, Organic Farm NZ
ORGANIC NEWS
Organic milk payout for 2019-20 season tops $10/kgMS. Fonterra’s organic farmers have become the first in the country to receive a double-digit milk payout. Fonterra will collect organic milk from 74 suppliers and 25 additional farms are in the process of becoming organic.
No Looking Back After Going Organic. Allan uses regenerative farming methods to improve the quality of the soil on the property. "For me, the ultimate food is coming off an organic farm that has regenerative principles attached to it, and that's what we're doing."
Farming the Hua Parakore Way. Jessica Hutchings (Ngāi Tahu, Gujarati) is an organic farmer, yoga teacher, and "recovering" academic who's just published her latest book on Māori food security. She has been a leader of the hua parakore, or Māori organics movement.
Greens want to clean up agriculture with $300m fund for farms - but there's a catch. The Green Party wants farmers to wean themselves off harmful fertilisers, improve water quality and become properly sustainable – and it would like the government’s own farms to lead the way.
Can Loans Tied To Soil Health Save Agriculture? A New $250 Million Fund Wants To Find Out. rePlant Capital aims to tie interest rates to improvements in soil health as a way to save farmers from the disastrous impacts of climate change
Whole Foods CEO John Mackey Says Many People Are Done With Grocery Stores. John Mackey discusses Americans’ changing food-buying habits, leadership lessons from Jeff Bezos and the problem with lockdowns
Navigating Natural and Organic: John-Paul Drake, Drakes Supermarkets. The natural and organic industry is growing and shifting, with new trends, regulations, products, and practices being introduced into the market every day.