Hon Damien O’Connor
Minister of Agriculture
and Food Safety

14 May 2018 MEDIA STATEMENT
National organic standard consultation

A proposal for a national organic standard is to be consulted on from today, says Agriculture and Food Safety Minister Damien O’Connor.

“In New Zealand there are a range of voluntary standards that organic producers can choose from to label their food ‘organic’,” says Damien O’Connor.

“Officials have advised that a single set of rules may help boost consumer confidence in organic products and place our organics regulatory system on the same footing as many other countries – potentially growing market access for organic products.

“The organics industry is a passionate one that offers consumers a valuable product backed by a brand focused on sustainable use of our natural resources.

“Productive growth for our primary industries is about getting more from what we do now – not just doing more.

“A consultation launched today gives producers and consumers a say on whether New Zealand needs a single set of rules for organics production, what that may look like and what costs or other factors need to be considered.

“The Ministry for Primary Industries will seek views from producers, consumers, processors, retailers, importers, exporters and the public through meetings and online,” says Damien O’Connor.

Email submissions to OrganicsConsultation@mpi.govt.nz by 5pm on 11 June. Find out more here.

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