The Watlings’ store is frequented by a consistent base of customers, but Jenny believes those people, many who return “three or four times every week”, may not be so loyal if it were not for the stamp of integrity given by The Bud.
This immense trust in The Bud, has solidified Jenny’s opinion the industry should unite behind a singular, clear label for all organic Australian produce.
“It’s really important that there is just the one logo because it streamlines the process of finding certified organic goods for the consumer. If there’s five or ten different logos out there it just becomes confusing,” she said.
In a timely reminder to the industry about the importance of The Bud logo, the Australian Organic Market Report 2021 reported 31 per cent of shoppers who purchased an organic product in the past year believed they had previously been misled by labelling.
Jenny said it was reassuring, however, that 62 per cent of Australian consumers recognised The Bud symbol, which assured the buyer that all the product ingredients have been certified to the Australian Certified Organic Standard and had met rigorous certification checks.
“What The Bud really means is the producer has a certification certificate for the product, so their farms have been checked to ensure there are no synthetic chemicals, they have not tested on animals, and, they have looked after their employees… people have done all the work to ensure the consumer is getting a really strong, wonderful product,” she said.
The Watlings are deeply proud of their store, and reflected the business, in many ways, was a tribute to the organic food industry.
They have taken their organic dedication to the next level, and their entire store is certified under the Australian Certified Organic Standards (ACOS), to provide further reassurance to shoppers.
“That means customers can trust that anything we put in here has been checked,” Mrs Watling said.
“Our main focus is on certified organic product, so this further gives the consumer peace of mind about what they’re buying.”