Organic Organisations in Australia

The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) oversees this auditing process for the Federal Government according to the National Standard for Organic and Bio-Dynamic Produce. To become an accredited organic industry organisation application is made to AQIS which undertakes an audit of the organisation against the requirements of the National Standard. There are presently seven industry organisations accredited for this purpose which are listed below. Should you wish to purchase a hard copy of the National Standard you can do so through Australian Government Book Shops by quoting ISBN 0-646-35460-4.

The Australian accredited organics industry as a whole is represented at the national level by the Organic Federation of Australia (OFA), whose secretariat is headquartered in Melbourne. All produce offered for sale under the Australian organic standards should be labelled with the relevant production standard from an accredited organisation – NASAA, BFA, or Demeter, etc, listed below.

The following information will enable you to make contact with the organisations that are accredited by the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS). Each of these organisations can supply you with specific information as to their particular standards, all of them by achieving AQIS accreditation, have proved that they meet the "National Standard for Organic and Bio-Dynamic Produce".

1. Bio-Dynamic Research Institute (BDRI)

Powelltown, VIC 3797, Tel: 03 5966 7333 Fax: 03 5966 7433.
Maintain the Demeter standard.

2. Biological Farmers of Australia Co-operative Ltd (BFA)

PO Box 3404 Toowoomba Village Fair, QLD 4350, Tel: 07 4639 3299 Fax: 07 4639 3755, Email: <bfa@icr.com.au>
Maintain the BFA standard.

3. National Association for Sustainable Agriculture (Australia) Ltd (NASAA)

PO Box 768, Stirling, SA 5152, Tel: 08 8370 8455 Fax: 08 8370 8381, Email: <enquiries@nasaa.com.au> Maintain the NASAA standard.

4. Organic Herb Growers of Australia Inc (OHGA),

PO Box 6171 South Lismore, NSW 2480, Tel: 02 6622 0100, Fax: 02 6622 0900, Email: <herbs@lis.net.au> Maintain the OHGA standard.

5. Organic Vignerons Association of Australia Inc (OVAA),

1 Gawler Street (PO Box 503), Nuriootpa, SA 5355, Tel: 08 8562 2122, Fax: 08 8562 3034. Maintain the OVAA standard.

6. Organic Food Chain (OFC)

PO Box 2390 Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Tel: 07 4637 2600 Fax: 07 4696 7689, Email: <organicfoodchain@hotmail.com> Maintain the OFC standard.

7. Tasmanian Organic-Dynamic Producers (TODP)

PO Box 434, Mowbray Heights, TAS 7054, Tel: 03 6383 4039 Fax: 03 6383 4594, Mobile: 0408 171 473, Email: <chottsy@bigpond.com> Maintain the TODP standard.

Other official organics bodies

1. Organic Retailers' & Growers Association of Australia (ORGAA)

PO Box 12852, A 'Beckett St, Post Office, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Organic Hotline: 1800 356 299 or Tel: (03) 9737 9799. ORGAA operates a self regulated system of retailer certification and publishes an organic industry magazine called The Organic Farmer. A recent list of member retailers is given below. For more up-to-date information contact ORGAA as above or the OAS below.

2. Organic Advisory Service (OAS)

15 Tschampions Rd, Macclesfield, VIC 3782, Tel: 03 5968 3040, Fax: 03 5968 3959, Email: <oas@alphalink.com.au> The Organic Advisory Service is a division of ORGAA and operates as that organisation's information source.

3. Organic Federation of Australia (OFA) and Australian Certified Organic Industry Secretariat

452 Lygon Street, East Brunswick, Victoria 3057, Tel: 03 9386 6600, Fax: 61 3 9384 1322, Email: <info@ofa.org.au> National umbrella group for the organics industry. Local information regarding OFA and the organics industry in general may be obtained at the following contact points: Melbourne - Organic Wholesalers, Tel: 03 9687 6388; Biodynamic Marketing - Tel 03 5966 7370; Canberra - Oz Organics, Tel: 02 6242 4774; Sydney - Eco Farms, Tel: 02 9764 2833; Brisbane - All Fresh, Tel: 07 3278-1099; Adelaide - Steve's Organics, Tel: 08 8359 7700. If you have any inquiries that you cannot find answers to with the above contacts please don't hesitate to contact <info@ofa.org.au>

4. Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association of Australia Inc.(BDFGAA)

P.O. Box 54, Bellingen, NSW 2454, Tel /Fax: 02 66 558551 or 02 66575306, Email: <poss@midcoast.com.au>
The BDFGAA is an educational organisation for those wishing to work with Biodynamics. It runs workshops, local Field days and conferences on Biodynamics, and Biodynamic preparation-making. (The Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association of Australia Inc. is now an accredited Training Organisation with VETAB and FarmBis.) BDFGAA has a Biodynamic Resource Manual and books for sale on Biodynamics. Advisory Service (phone and personal visits) and sets Biodynamic Standards for NASAA and BFA to certify Biodynamic Farmers, Biodynamic Preparations, (Prep.500/501/ 502-508) sold to members as well as other Biodynamic resources. (Fish Emulsion and Manure Concentrate, Horns, Horn Clay etc.) Publishes quarterly News Leaf Journal on Biodynamics in Australia and other publications. There are many regional groups around Australia. Contact Cheryl Kemp for details as above.

Federal auditing body

1. Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS)

Tel: 02 6271 6638, 02 6272 4164, Fax 02 6272 3682,Email: <organic@aqis.gov.au> Website: <http://www.aqis.gov.au/docs/approg/orgfront.htm>