What is Organic?
"Organic" has been defined by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) as - avoiding or excluding the use of synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, antibiotics, growth modification and irradiation.
This is all correct, yet below we explain why the term incorporates so much more than that.
Any farm, producer or manufacturer operating to satisfy the BioGro organic standards is assessed and audited every year.
Traceability - Always know what's in your food and where it's derived from. Organic certification is the world's most widely used, secure and impermeable traceability system. Every single certified product can be traced back to its origin.
Animal Welfare - Organic maintains the highest levels of animal welfare, this means happier and healthier animals. With plenty of space that reduces stress and disease, and fed a diet that is as natural as possible and free from genetically modified organisms.
Climate Change - Organic works towards maintaining a clean green New Zealand by working with nature. Organic farming does not rely on synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, significantly reducing water and soil contamination.
Biodiversity - Wildlife is crucial to a healthy planet. Organic farms create havens for wildlife including homes for the birds and the bees and has been proven to have more biodiversity.
Packaging - Packaging for certified organic products must be chosen with the aim of minimizing environmental impact. This is met where the packaging can be used as many times as possible, or recycled.
Care for Workers - Organic standards will not allow certification that involves or is based on the violation of human rights.
Health & Wellbeing - Organic food is real food. It is not genetically engineered or altered in any way. It is made without synthetic colourings, preservatives or additive. Eating organic food is one way to reduce your pesticide intake.
Advertising - 'Greenwashing' is a common tactic used to confuse consumers into thinking a product is more environmentally friendly than it actually is. Certified organic producers must get all packaging, labels and marketing materials approved before it is used. There are fair and strict guidelines surrounding what you are allowed to say as an organic producer to allow as much transparency as possible.