Page 46 - Demo

ORGANIC FROM PAGE 43 She adds that the average Australian consumes 2kg of food additives a year, which can lead to headaches, behaviour changes or illness. “Organic production also supports the environment, with studies showing 50 per cent more plant, insect and bird life is found on organic farms,” she said. “Production without synthetic fertilisers means a lot less greenhouse gas as well.” For the team at organic coffee company bean ground & drunk, the term ‘organic’ implies having ‘integrity’. Director of Marketing at Bean Alliance Group and founder of bean ground & drunk Susan Castle says organic farming methods ensure ecologically good treatment. “Absent of harsh herbicides and pesticides, the \[organic\] farming communities are well placed and the environment taken care of in a broad sense,” she said. “The pandemic has shone a light on this as a poignant issue for our times... organic farming methods establish ‘earth health’ and therefore heighten the potential to ensure food supply is secure for now and in the future.” More than a label The word organic is thrown around carelessly these days, as businesses become more aware of current consumers and their goals to live sustainable, environmentally friendly lives. It’s no shock that many labels include the word ‘organic’ on packaging simply to attract more buyers. What is shocking, however, is that Australia is officially the last developed country to not have domestic organic regulation. Australian Organic Ltd (AOL) is promoted as the peak body for the organic industry and is most recognisable by its ‘Bud’ logo. What is AOL’s current mission? “It is Australian Organic’s strategic priority to work with government and key regulatory bodies to deliver organic domestic regulation during 2020,” AOL’s website states. “This consistent approach to the organic industry will ensure Australia’s world class organic standard will continue to grow market access internationally and provide Australian consumers with confidence when choosing products that claim to be organic.” AOL is the owner of ‘the Bud’, the most recognised certification mark when it comes to identifying products that are certified organic. AOL licenses the Bud to approved certification bodies within Australia. These certification bodies rigorously audit companies and products to certified organic standards – separating from products that just use the label ‘organic’ without actually being certified organic. A Bud: Bertolli olive oil Deolio’s Ms Thompson talks about the oils offered by its Bertolli brand and the organic way in which they are produced. “Bertolli Organic olive oil is the juice of freshly crushed olives, that have been cold extracted. Just one ingredient, with no additives,” she said. Bertolli, she adds, has proven itself worthy of using the Bud logo on its products. “The important difference to most extra virgin olive oils is the organically grown olives we use,” Ms Thompson said. “After all, if you can have extra virgin olive oil, where the olives were never treated with chemicals or pesticides, then why wouldn’t you?” Australian Organic CEO Niki Ford has praise for supermarkets such as Coles, Woolworths and ALDI ensuring that if the food products on their shelves are labelled ‘organic’, that they are authentically organic (this excludes health and beauty items). Australian Organic Awareness Month Australian Organic Awareness Month is Australia’s largest campaign supporting the certified organic industry across all categories, including fresh produce, food and beverages, cosmetics, skin care, garden products, house cleaning products, textiles and even pet food. Earlier this year, AOL announced its 2020 ambassador: actor Lincoln Lewis. As part of the campaign, he visited local organic producers and retailers to learn more about how organic farming impacts the land. After visiting Queensland’s Kialla Pure Foods, Mr Lewis said: “A big thing was learning about all the challenges of an organic operation combined with the difficulties every farm and producer goes through, such as the drought. “That was a big eye opener, as it adds another layer of complexity to everything.” Touching on his visit to Cleaver’s Organic Meats in NSW, he said: “I loved hearing Paul \[Marketing Manager Paul Da Silva\] talk about ‘taking things back old school’ – as in 100 years ago when everything was actually organic, as that was the norm.” Mr Lewis saw firsthand the process within organic farming and processing. “One massive thing that got me,” he said, “and gave me an even greater sense of appreciation for the produce, Government approved certification bodies include: • ACO Certification Ltd • AUS-QUAL Pty Ltd • Bio-Dynamic Research Institute • NASAA Certified Organic • Organic Food Chain • Southern Cross Certified Australia Pty Ltd A Bud: bean ground & drunk The bean ground & drunk company has a long history in Australia with its authentically certified organic coffee. Once becoming certified organic, it made a commitment to teach consumers to look for the certification logo on packs, and promoted its “ecological whole” credentials, covering the environment and the producing communities. The team says it was uncomfortable with asking consumers simply to rely on the company’s word that the coffee is organic, emphasising that to maintain its certification through ACO Certification Ltd, it is subjected to a regular audit and must adhere to ACO’s established practices and processes – therefore, when consumers see the Bud logo, they know that the coffee is certified, and are assured of the true organic DNA of the product. 44 RETAIL WORLD SEP, 2020