Submissions to Food Standards Australia & New Zealand

Thank you for visiting OrganicFarmNZ.

OrganicFarmNZ (OFNZ) is a not-for-profit organisation. Our mandate is to increase the community’s understanding of organic principles and the practice of organic gardening and farming in New Zealand.

OFNZ-certified members are entitled to utilize the BioGro Organic Standards.

Through BioGro, members can access a free, searchable public database of certified organic inputs.

Gardening and farming organically has benefits for our health, the welfare of animals and the state of our environment.

OFNZ members and supporters belong to Regional Groups, which have two main roles; organic education and organic certification.

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Organic education:

OFNZ members and committees provide opportunities for members and the public to learn more about organic gardening and farming in a variety of ways.

Regional groups hold talks, farm visits and workshops. Some regional groups hold regular working bees, and all regional groups help support members with encouragement and knowledge to grow organically.

Organic certification:

As a means of fulfilling its objectives, OFNZ provides an organic certification system for producers supplying the New Zealand market.

OrganicFarmNZ certification is designed for the small-grower to be low-cost, educative and supportive. The income from the certification process is used to support, educate and encourage more people to adopt organic principles in horticulture and farming.

OrganicFarmNZ supports local organic food production. It is food grown by locals for locals.

Organic community:

We encourage our members and the public to support the growth of organics in New Zealand.

One way you can do this is by purchasing Organic NZ magazine, you can subscribe online – www.organicnz.org.nz – This magazine is published by the Soil & Health Association of New Zealand, one of the world’s oldest organisations dedicated to organic production.

Since 1941 Soil & Health has actively promoted organic production, educated people about living organic and sustainable lifestyles, and campaigned on things like nutritious food, reducing pesticide use, natural health care and keeping New Zealand GE Free We are committed to advocating our maxim “Healthy Soil – Healthy Food – Healthy People / Oranga nuku – Oranga kai – Oranga tangata ” and to creating an organic New Zealand.

We also encourage you to shop at Farmers’ Markets; they are an example of the increasing bio-regionalism taking hold around the world as consumers seek to connect with producers of fresh food and a means of reducing our impact on the environment.