SETPEMBER, 7 2023

There are many reasons why food shoppers make the switch to organic products, with more and more Australians choosing to become a part of the organic movement. The recently released Australian Organic Market Report 2023 states that broad cultural change is driving preference for organic products, with factors like health, sustainability, environmental benefits and animal welfare all considered important to consumers.

Industry peak body Australian Organic Limited (AOL) is committed to promoting the many benefits of organic systems while protecting the industry from greenwashing and false organic claims. As Australia is one of very few countries without an enforced regulatory standard of the word ‘organic’, unscrupulous businesses can make organic claims on their products even if they contain as little as two per cent organic ingredients.

This is why organic certification is so important to the growth of our vital industry. Each September, AOL holds Australian Organic Awareness Month to promote certified organics and celebrate the businesses, retailers and shoppers that underpin the sector.

The theme of this year’s AOAM is Why Organic? What are the benefits for consumers who choose to support the certified organic industry during their weekly shop?

CERTIFIED ORGANIC IS TOXIC PESTICIDE AND CHEMICAL FREE

Organics are free of synthetic herbicides, toxic pesticides and persistent chemicals. Many of the chemicals detected in non-organic foods can negatively impact human health, even at very low concentrations. Unfortunately, simply washing your non-organic produce is ineffective to remove all traces of pesticides.

“Only 19% of chemicals are removed when washing non-organic strawberries in tap water”