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BioGro Fully Supports An Organic National Regulation
Agriculture and Food Safety Minister, Damien O'Connor has
announced that he has introduced the Organics Product Bill
to Parliament and if passed, will create a national standard
for organics here in New Zealand.
BioGro
have been working hard, alongside other leads within the
Organic Sector to see an official standard and regulations
implemented. Government first recognised this as a
requirement in May 2018 and have progressed tremendously
over the past 18 months in its
implementation.
BioGro chief executive
Donald Nordeng stresses the importance for the sector and
those beyond to get involved with the consultation
process.
"Organic production overlays
many industries, with the needs and requirements for each to
be different" Mr Nordeng
says
"Despite the fact we have fallen
behind other countries, this is actually an advantageous
opportunity to shape the sector in a way that makes sense to
everyone. A public comment gives you a voice through a
complex process, and we encourage everyone to utilise this
when available"
BioGro is New
Zealand’s largest certifier, currently certifying over 830
producers, farmers and manufacturers across 20 different
sectors within New Zealand and across the
Pacific.
"71.5 million hectares of
farmland are now organic worldwide,
with 2.8 million organic farmers to meet the ever-growing
demand. Consumers have become more conscious of how their
spending behaviour can impact the environment in a positive
way".
"Climate change is the biggest
environmental challenge of our time, and it’s important
that we all strive to do the best we can for a sustainable
future. Organic farming is one contributing solution to
climate change, so we see national regulation as a
monumental development for further transparency and
integrity in this space".
The Bill will have its first reading soon, and if passed it will be referred to the Primary Production Select Committee that will consult on the content of the bill. The Government has agreed to public consultation on regulatory proposals covering these details, with the consultation process likely to follow closely after.
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