Next steps for New Zealand’s organic food regulations

Ōtautahi - A new organic products and production bill has been p[assed through its third reading today in Parliament, helping New Zealand’s organic sector to grow and lift export revenue.

The bill will introduce regulation to give businesses the certainty they need to continue to invest in the Aotearoa organics sector, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says.

Last year, New Zealand’s primary sector hit a record $53.3 billion in export earnings. New Zealand is growing its food and fibre businesses to capitalise on the opportunities presented by international markets. That includes the access in the UK FTA and the EU FTA.  

“In tandem, these regulations will give discerning consumers confidence in their choices and boost the credibility of New Zealand’s organic products on the world stage,” O’Connor says.

“Consumer demand for genuine and certified organic products is significant and customers around the world are becoming increasingly discerning about how their food is produced.

“Accordingly, our organics sector is a rapidly growing market and was worth an estimated $723m in 2020 with more than half of New Zealand’s organic output being exported overseas.

“It is key that New Zealand has a framework in place to sustain this growth and to give businesses the certainty they need to continue to invest in organic production.

This bill ushers in practical guidelines and regulations for the organics industry and allows businesses to back up their organic status with a standardised system of official certification. 

“Internationally, an increasing number of countries are requiring compliance with their domestic regimes or certification from equivalent regimes.

A domestic standard for Kiwi organic products will help to ensure New Zealand’s continued access in these markets, as well as open doors in new markets for our premium organic exports.”

A national organic standard for organic food, beverages, plant and animal products is currently being developed. The national organic standard will set the production and processing rules for products labelled as organic, and any requirements that are specific to the products covered by the standard.

For more information on the changes to organic products law see: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/agriculture/organic-product-requirements-in-nz/changes-to-organic-products-law/