There is a new, united voice for Australia’s organic industry, with eleven organisations coming together to form the Organic Industry Discussion Group (OIDG) to advance the interests of the organic sector, including the pursuit of domestic regulation. The OIDG brings together all of Australia’s certification bodies and key industry groups in one forum.
You can find Organigrow’s free range egg farm on 70 acres of land at Monaltrie in Northern New South Wales. The farm been certified organic since 1999, operated by two generations of the Cripps Clark family. Current owner and manager Simon Cripps Clark is committed to offering an idyllic free-range environment for Organigrow’s chickens. Although up to 1,500 hens per hectare are permitted according to organic standards, the density at Organigrow does not exceed 600 birds per hectare.
Buderim-based Guano Australia has been a long-term supporter of the Australian organic industry, offering certified allowed inputs to growers across the nation. Guano Australia has been selling premium Guano Gold fertiliser products for more than 30 years, with the business established in Victoria in 1992 before relocating to the Sunshine Coast in 2005. Their locally produced Guano Liquid Gold and Guano Liquid Gold with KMS Fertiliser range has seen very positive growth recently, given disrupted international supply chains and rising costs of commercial fertilisers. As such, the business can offer a price advantage to Australian farmers when compared to many imported products. 
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture has heard from Australian Organic Limited (AOL) on the crucial role organics can play in creating a resilient farming ecosystem to enhance food security into the future. Speaking at public hearings in Brisbane this week as part of the ongoing inquiry into food security in Australia, AOL CEO Niki Ford outlined the benefits of incorporating organic farming practices across the agricultural sector to Member for Paterson, Committee Chair Meryl Swanson, and Member for Spence, Matt Burnell.
Planet Organic on the Sunshine Coast offer an extensive range of certified organic teas, coffees, herbs and spices that are full on flavour but light on the earth. The Coolum-based business has grown significantly since it was founded in 1997, with 59 different certified organic teas now available to health-conscious consumers. The entire Planet Organic range is certified organic, with raw materials ethically sourced from overseas and packaged at their Sunshine Coast facility. Popular tea items include lines like spearmint, chamomile, ginger and rosehip hibiscus, with plenty of other exotic options to choose from.
Queensland’s Biosota Organics has been proudly producing the strongest possible grades of medicinal Manuka honey in the world since 1999. Manuka honey is the rarest type in the world, accounting for just 1% of the globe’s total available honey as the Manuka tree is only native to Australia and New Zealand. Medicinal Manuka honey presents higher levels of MGO (Methyglyoxal) when compared to regular honey and table-grade Manuka honey, and is naturally bioactive with antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties for the healing and prevention of various ailments.
The 2023 Australian Organic Wine Awards will showcase the highest quality organic and biodynamic wines in the country, with one of the industry’s rising stars set to take her place on the judging panel. West Australian sommelier Sophia Gannon has been named as the recipient of this year’s Associate Scholarship for the Awards, which aims to promote female talent and leadership in the organic wine industry.
Australia's organic operators have welcomed support from the halls of Canberra with the formation of a Federal Parliamentary Friendship Group for organics. Established by Liberal Party Member for Casey, Aaron Violi, and Labor Member for Hunter, Dan Repacholi, the Parliamentary Friends of Australia’s Organic Industry will provide a forum for members of the industry to meet with MPs and Senators to display their produce and discuss key opportunities and challenges they face. Chairman of Australian Organic Limited (AOL), Mike Brown, said the Group would help foster meaningful connections between producers and the country’s decision makers.
Husband and wife team Clayton and Jackie settled at Tulloch Brae, just north of Toowoomba, 18 years ago. The Sargoods were one of the first certified organic beef producers in Queensland. The family has continued to expand and diversify its business since then, with multiple breeder properties in western Queensland continually supplying the 1200 acre finishing farm, Tulloch Brae. To ensure a consistent product, Clayton’s Organic beef is grain assisted. What does this mean in the world of pasture-fed organic beef? Animals are allowed to free range their whole lives and have continuous access to pasture, and no hormones, antibiotics or synthetic pesticides are used within their production.