National Organic & Biodynamic Standard.pdf

Organic Industries of Australia Ltd is commenting on the Consultation Regulation Impact Statement on domestic organics regulation, welcoming the opportunity to provide input. As the peak industry organisation, they represent the diverse members of the Australian organic industry. The organisation highlights that Australia has a relatively undeveloped domestic organic market due to confused government policies and responsibilities, unlike overseas countries that have comprehensive regulation and significant financial support.

The lack of domestic regulation undermines efforts to improve market access for organic exporters, as target markets question the equivalence of Australia's organic production systems. The organisation believes that only domestic legislation can provide the necessary regulations to protect organic consumers and producers and improve export market access.

Key points include:

- 80 countries have implemented comprehensive organic regulations, while Australia only regulates organic exports.
- Australian consumers and operators strongly support mandatory independent certification of organic products.
- The Australian Consumer Law is inadequate in regulating the organic market, allowing products to be sold with the suggestion they are ‘organic’ without certification.
- Organic sales are growing strongly in North America, Europe, and Asia, supported by clear regulations.
- The Australian organic industry estimates that organic agriculture comprises around 1.2% of national agricultural production, with limited growth due to confusion between governments and lack of financial support.

The organisation recommends that the government implement legislation requiring that ‘organic’ can only mean ‘certified organic’, with significant penalties for breaches and a new public regulator. The legislation should be consistent between domestic and export products, allowing Australian exports to access markets on an equal basis as organic exporters in rival countries.