OANZ September BUZZ

Kia ora tātou from the Chair

Spring is finally here and, like the daffodils, positive signs of the work undertaken throughout the last 12 months are beginning to appear. Relationships with international bodies, regenerative networks, Government, and our members are building steadily, and this is truly heartening.

Yet again, COVID has played havoc with our plans to meet with many of you in Wellington this month so, unfortunately, we have had to adapt to the circumstances.

Our OANZ Organic Conference has been delayed until the 5th of November which is of course disappointing to all of us. There is some good news: this has given us more time to pull together inspiring speakers from around the country! The conference will be a wonderful celebration of our sector and the exciting future ahead of us.

Congratulations to Soil and Health for reaching their 80th anniversary – what an incredible milestone! Thank you for being the guardian of the Organic movement for all these years. While others have come and gone, you have remained true to the organic values we all aspire to. I have heard so many positive comments about the new look magazine. I personally really look forward to receiving the magazine in the mail so thank you also for a fabulous publication.

Ngā mihi nui,

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

OANZ BOARD UPDATE

Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the OANZ Board, Allan Richardson.

Allan is passionate about growing the organic sheep and beef sector in New Zealand. He and his wife Sonia first gained organic certification on their Heriot sheep and beef properties in 2001. They adopted regenerative techniques over the last three years and see great synergy between the two systems.

Congratulations to Clinton Chambers who held his position.

Thank you to Joanne Turner for her interest in joining the Board.

We look forward to continuing our work moving the sector forward together.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE OANZ BOARD

OANZ ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING UPDATE

The OANZ AGM was held on September 10. It was a great turnout, thank you to all those who attended.

OANZ members will receive the Minutes next week.

MPI FOLLOW UP DISCUSSION ON THE ORGANIC PRODUCTS BILL

Following on from his conversation at the AGM, Michael Machin from MPI is available for further discussion around the Bill this Friday, September 24. This is open to all OANZ members. Please RSVP to melissa@oanz.org.

TE WAKA KAI ORA

He mihi maioha ki a Cathy Tait-Jamieson - Supreme Winner of the Organic Leaders Award and Hua Parakore producer. Te Waka Kai Ora is very proud to celebrate in the achievement of Cathy and her whānau for the receipt of this award.

We also acknowledge Warren Mills and Maria Strioukova from Mills Farm, also Hua Parakore verified and a finalist in the non-food product of the year award. Te Waka Kai Ora appreciates both of these producers' commitment to the kaupapa of Hua Parakore and honoring whenua, awa and of course our pollinators.

Te Waka Kai Ora has been participating with OANZ in the development of the Strategy for the Organics sector working to ensure that pathways to grow Māori participation on both Organics and Hua Parakore are realised. Te Waka Kai Ora AGM is scheduled for Saturday 25 September and will be held online.

We also bring OANZ members' attention to the Te Waka Kai Ora website and encourage those who are interested to sign up to Te Waka Kai Ora via the website. There will be two newsletters a year that are sent to members to keep them up to date with Te Waka Kai Ora happenings.

ORGANIC NZ AWARDS 2021

Congratulations to all the Organic NZ Award winners!

Organic Leader of the Year

- Presented by Ceres Organics -
Cathy Tait-Jamieson, BioFarm

Organic Farmer of the Year 
- Presented by Countdown - 
Niva & Yotam Kay, Pakaraka Permaculture

Organic Brand of the Year
- Presented by AsureQuality -
Bostock New Zealand

Organic Food Product of the Year 
- Presented by Fonterra Organic -
ViBERi - Organic Blackcurrant Powder

Organic Beverage of the Year
- Presented by Farmlands -
IncaFé Organic Coffee

Organic Non-Food Product of the Year
- Presented by Soil & Health Association of NZ - 
Roots, Shoots & Fruits — Rootella

Miss the show? Watch it by clicking the button below.

WATCH THE AWARDS

ORGANIC REGENERATIVE CONFERENCE

Join your peers in Wellington for the Organic Regenerative Conference on 5 November.

Under Level 2 rules, we can have 100 people at the conference. So, spaces are limited. Don't miss out — get your ticket today!

Organic Regenerative Conference, Wellington
5 November @ The Boatshed | 9:00 am - 7:30 pm

Join sector leaders in launching the 2021 Organic Sector Strategy. With input from over 200 organic sector stakeholders, the strategy is key to growing the $730 million sector over the next few years.

Organic Sector Strategy Launch

Speakers include Lain Jagar (Chair of Fit for a Better World), Miriana Stephens (Wakatū), and members of the Organic Sector Strategy Leadership Group. We will take a deep dive into the strategy and the future of our sector.

The conference day will continue with four panel discussions on:

  1. Maori perspective of organics

  2. Creating a better understanding of New Zealand's organic certifiers

  3. Organics, Solving Key Environmental Issues

  4. Organic 3.0: How regenerative agriculture and organics can work together

Speakers include:

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW

ORGANIC EXPORTERS ASSOCIATION

Organic Exporters Annual Two Day Event Otago & Southland

Commences from Invercargill Airport Coach Park Thursday 14th October at 10.30am. Concludes at Queenstown Airport on Friday 15th October at 3.00pm.

Full two-day tickets ($329) include coach, morning tea, two lunches, admission charges and Gala dinner, entertainment including all beverages. 

LEARN MORE

BECOME AN OANZ MEMBER

Join OANZ and help shape the future of Aotearoa's organic sector!

With so many exciting things happening right now across our sector, a well-supported organisation will allow us to make it happen faster and even better.

OANZ is looking for new members who want to support us in our work as we help advocate for organics in Aotearoa, from promoting the Market Report to our Sector Strategy, the Organic Products Bill and regulations, and work around regenerative agriculture, clean waterways, and Climate Change.

Please help us by encouraging others to join OANZ.

JOIN TODAY

ORGANIC NEWS 

Organic Week Aotearoa Kicks Off, with Tips and Tricks for Going Organic. Organic Week Aotearoa, New Zealand's largest celebration of all things organic, kicked off on Saturday with a week-long programme of events.

South Canterbury Business Wins Organic NZ Award. Pleasant Point blackcurrant growers Tony and Afsaneh Howey have won the People’s Choice 2021 Organic Food Product of the Year Award. 

A Taranaki Coffee Roaster Has Won a National Organic Food Award. IncaFé Coffee was named organic beverage of the year at Organics Aotearoa’s annual awards.

New Zealand's Organic Farmers of the Year. New Zealand's organic farmer of the year has been announced at the Organic NZ Awards. The prize has gone to Niva and Yotam Kay from Pakaraka Permaculture in Thames.

Country Calendar Looks at the Science of Farming. Changing careers from climate science to farming might seem an unusual step, but for Dom Ferretti it made perfect sense. He has worked for about 12 years monitoring greenhouse gases.

Nadia Lim: The True Cost of the Food in our Trollies. Most people are unaware of how their purchasing decisions determine a cost to the environment and people’s health, through how food is grown, processed, and distributed.

THE QUORUM SENSE PODCAST: Building resilience with Nick Gill & Mike Saunders. It's fascinating to hear Nick and Mike share their passion for pushing beyond the transition to organic production in order to build greater resilience into their farming system.

Using Organic Soil Amendments Results in Better Soil Health and Yield in the Long Run. A recent study shows that over time, organic yields can match and even exceed those of conventional when built up soil health and biodiversity lead to better crop production.

Organic Sales Boom Pushes Need for Mandatory Label and Certification Law. Australia's $2.5 billion organic industry is keeping up the fight for mandatory truth in labelling laws banning the word "organic" on uncertified goods.

Organic Food – Where Now for the EU? With a big push on organics, we look at the farmer challenges, the market, and what countries are making organic waves, Jack Kennedy reports.

The Soil-Gut Connection: Roots of Health for our Internal Garden. Healthy soil grows healthy humans. Where does gut health really come from? We have to go back to the source.

From the Farm: How Regenerative Organic Agriculture is Growing in Hemp. Pocono Organics, a 380-acre farm in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, has grown into one of the largest regenerative organic farms in North America.

Op-ed: Giant Meat and Dairy Companies Are Dominating the Plant-Based Protein Market. As consumers are given the appearance of more choices, the actual ownership of these brands is held by a decreasing number of firms.

Women in Wool. We profile women working the land, with animals, and with wool to create a local fiber shed: ‘If you care about where your food comes, you should care about where your fiber comes from.'

EVENTS, WEBINARS & RESOURCES

Organic Wine Week
20 - 26 September
Events held online and across the country
Event List Here

Te Waka Kai Ora AGM
25 September | 3:00 - 4:00 pm
This meeting will be held via Zoom. RSVP: tewakakaiora@gmail.com

Organic Exports Annual Two Day Event
14 + 15 October 
Tickets Available Here

Organic Conference
5 November | 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
The Boatshed, Taranaki Street Wharf, Wellington 
Tickets Available Here

Learn About Rescheduled Organic Week Events 
www.facebook.com/organicweeknz

OANZ