Australia’s finest certified organic producers, processors and operators will be celebrated at the 2024 Australian Organic Industry Awards, with finalists announced across seven categories.
Hosted by Australian Organic Limited (AOL), this year’s awards will be presented at a gala dinner at the conclusion of the two-day Australian Organic Conference, held at Pullman Melbourne on the Park on 7-8 March.
AOL Chief Executive Officer, Niki Ford, said this year’s award finalists cover some of the most recognisable brands and products available to Australian consumers.
“It’s clear certified organics is no longer a niche industry, with more and more shoppers looking for certification marks on the products they purchase,” Ms Ford said.
“The 2024 Australian Organic Industry Award finalists set the standard for excellence, innovation and a commitment to sustainability in their certified organic products across a range of sectors including fresh produce, packaged goods, skincare, coffee and even fencing materials.
“We’re excited to showcase the products, individuals and businesses helping push our sector forward.”
Hewitt Foods and its retail brand, Cleaver’s Organic Meat, is a finalist in three categories including Brand of the Year and Business of the Year, plus Ash Murphy and Montanna Schollick from the company are both vying for the Young Organic Leader of the Year prize.
All Cleaver’s products are free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), antibiotics, added hormones, synthetic chemicals and artificial preservatives, colours and flavours. In its 25th year in the market in 2023, Cleaver’s introduced new paper-based trays to reduce plastic in landfill – one of the initiatives recognised in the Innovation Award category.
Having expanded rapidly to be established in over 1500 outlets nationwide, Honest to Goodness is also in the running for Brand of the Year and Business of the Year, with Founder and Product Manager, Karen Ward, a finalist in the Organic Woman of the Year category.
On top of its broad range of certified organic products, the company is a strong advocate for the health benefits of certified organic foods, its environmental benefits, and the practices contributing to healthy soil, biodiversity and reduced water pollutants.
Central Queensland organic beef producers, Fred and Anna Appleton from Appleton Cattle Company, have been rewarded for their sustainable farming practices with nominations for the Farmer of the Year and Organic Woman of the Year categories, respectively.
Returning winners Kialla Pure Foods (2022 Brand of the Year) and Dr Oetker Queen Australia (2022 Business of the Year) are again finalists in this year’s major categories.
Along with the individual award categories, the recipient of the Chairman’s Award and this year’s inductee into the Australian Organic Hall of Fame will both be named at the gala dinner.
A full list of finalists is available at this link. Tickets for the Industry Awards Gala Dinner are available for purchase here.
To find out more about the Australian Organic Conference program, click here.
