NEW research shows Australian organic products are rated the highest quality and considered almost twice as good as international organic products.
This is according to the latest research commissioned by the Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) and co-funded by Horticulture Australia Ltd (HAL).
The Australian Organic Market Report 2012 (to be publicly released at the end of the month) shows more than one million Australians regularly purchase organic products, with 65 per cent of adult Australians claiming to have purchased an organic product in the past 12 months.
The Report is published every two years as a benchmark for the organic sector, from meat and vegetables to grain and cosmetics.
BFA commissioned researchers from Swinburne University and Mobium Group and drew on figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
BFA’s Andrew Monk said the growth in organics demonstrates growing consumer interest in "food and products grown humanely", without synthetic chemicals and with respect for the environment.
Simone Tully, director of certified organic meat wholesaler Australian Organic Meats said part of being a successful organic business was being a passionate advocate and leading the way in providing good financial returns back to the farming communities of Australia.
“Taking a whole-of-farm organic management approach is good for the Australian environment," she said.
Rory Richards, chief operating officer from the country’s largest certified organic chicken producer Inglewood Farms, said, “The biggest challenge faced by our business is to educate the consumer about the difference between free range and organic – explaining that our chickens are organic, which also means free range, and not taking it as a given that the consumer knows how organic is different.”
The Australian Organic Market Report 2012 will be officially launched on October 26 in Brisbane.
