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Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation |
Australian Organics is a joint newsletter of RIRDC and OFA. It is distributed quarterly by direct mail to 4,500 researchers, industry, government, farmers, libraries and consultants. Contributions are welcome.
Contact Denise Millar Ph: (03) 9882 5910, fax: (02) 9882 5917 Mobile: 0419 599 294, Email: denise.millar@bigpond.com
Address: PO Box 4776, KINGSTON ACT 2604To be on the mailing list, contact publications@rirdc.gov.au
Organic Food Served with Passion
Brenda Fawdon is a self confessed food head who has poured 20 years of restaurant experience into a trail blazing integrated Brisbane enterprise Mondo Organics.
The result was the opening of Mondo organic restaurant in cosmopolitan West End with partners Sonja Drexler and Dominique Rizzo in April 2000.
Thriving organic hub
The 90 seat 7 day restaurant is now the hub of a thriving organic enterprise with an expanding manufacturing facility, Saturday produce markets and weekly cooking school.
"The range and quality of organic food available has been improving enormously. We’ve got some fantastic suppliers. This type of operation would have been extremely difficult to launch a few years ago." Ms Fawden said the commercial production facility, which is in the process of being organically certified, allowed Mondo to deal in bigger food volumes and also provided an outlet for suppliers’ second quality produce.
A wide range of value added foods are manufactured for retail distribution from frozen meals, soups, sorbets and ice cream to exotic sausages, jams, chutneys, breads, pastas and cakes.
"Our Saturday markets have
proved extremely popular with customers looking for a range of affordable
produce and we now regularly sell out."
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Partners in Mondo Organics: from left, Sonja Drexler, Brenda Fawdon and Dominique Rizzo. |
Cooking school
The cooking school offers a hands on food experience with a variety of themes from health foods to bush foods and spices and national themes like Italian and Spanish with expert presenters.
Ms Fawden described the Mondo restaurant theme as modern Australian with a blackboard menu offering the flexibility of using seasonal produce.
Mondo deals direct with many organic producers and also sources extensively from the Brisbane company Organic Quality Foods.
"We are keen to expand our
valueadding business. There is potential to develop export markets, particularly
Japan, but capital is a limiting factor," Ms Fawdon said.
Inaugural National Organic Conference
360 people came to dinner at the OFA Awards Dinner at the National Conference in August at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre in Sydney. All enjoyed first class organic food, wine and beer, with the certified wit of Wendy Harmer as MC.
But the spotlight belongs to the winners of the OFA Organic Awards for Excellence across the 7 industry categories. From a field of more than 50 nominations they have set the standard and taken the prizes, in the first of many national awards for our industry. You will find photos and details of the winners on page 8.
I think this gathering of the industry was different.
Conferences come and go – but this inaugural national conference enabled over 60 speakers, both certified and conventional producers, to address R&D and marketing issues and put their case for the industry’s future (see pages 6-7).
Based on their passion, professionalism and pride that future seems very assured to me. We are certainly indebted to Prof. John Ikerd from Missouri, USA for his great presentation on the architecture of the future organics industry. His paper and all proceedings will be published shortly in hard copy (from RIRDC). Details available at www.rirdc.gov.au.
Our sponsors and food contributors also took a chance in supporting this inaugural national conference. We thank you all for your commitment and financial support and trust your business is better as a result.
The challenge now is for the industry and the OFA to take this event forward - to maintain the momentum for organic development and excellence in production systems in the unique Australian landscape.
Over 40 people contributed directly to the planning of this outcome over the last year. Catriona Macmillan as Conference Manager pulled it all together with a human face, and Rod May and Andy Monk with their committees drove the depth and diversity of the program and awards. Merryn James, Chantal Core and other RIRDC staff provided key resources and input. Thanks to all for their effort.
Ewan Colquhoun
RIRDC Organic Produce Research
Manager
Ph: 07 3831 7330;
Fax: 07 3832 7298
Email: macagri@ozemail.com.au
Despite ambitious plans to double organic lamb production in the next 12 months, the O’Leary family of Dubbo, NSW will struggle to cope with surging consumer demand.
Their company Australian Organic Meats has established a rapidly growing domestic market for lamb while export potential has been put on hold through lack of supply.
Third generation mixed farmer Denis O’Leary has had the 1075 ha family property Byedown BFA certified since 1989.
After more than a decade proving organic lamb and beef production techniques Mr O’Leary and his son Matthew have moved seriously into direct marketing in the last few years, prompting a scramble for supply.
Meat processed and packed at the certified Mudgee regional abattoir is in such demand from boutique butchers and restaurants that they are focused on finishing stock from a range of suppliers to boost throughput.
Their export arm Global Organic
Products has pioneered a beef market in Japan selling a range of products
direct to consumers by home delivery.
Lamb and beef expansion
plans are based on an intensive property subdivision and watering program
to expand cell grazing with supplementary finishing using oats and barley
grown on the property.
Denis O’Leary said the family property had been producing lambs since the 1950s and the key to successful organic production had been to control worms and parasites through soil conditioning and rotational grazing.
A drench of copper sulphate and dolomite lime has also proved effective.
Turnoff is gearing up to 100 head of cattle and 80 lambs a month with another 80 to 100 lambs sourced from local producers.
A strategic business plan looking ahead 5 to 10 years drives development of the world’s biggest land area organic enterprise, the OBE Beef Pty Ltd.
Such is the professionalism that has helped transform a loose idea among a group of inland cattle producers in 1996 into an integrated production and marketing success story.
Along the way OBE has set new benchmarks for the Australian organic industry in its quest for international recognition.
Simone on her property Bingara, 100km west of Cunnamulla
Company Secretary and Business Manager Simone Tully shared the pioneering experience with delegates to the National Organics Conference in Sydney last August.
OBE Beef
OBE has united 32 beef producers with a land holding of almost 6.5 million ha and more than 100,000 cattle. Their common goal is to exploit the advantage of a clean environment in the remote outback channel country.
"With no history of intensive chemical use in the region, we can promote a pristine image for Australian produce abroad," she said.
Member properties are spread from South Australia across western Queensland between Charleville and Birdsville, the home of chairman David Brook.
Ms Tully, who operates the family property Bingara, about 100 km west of Cunnamulla with her husband Shane, said OBE Beef was still very much in its development phase.
"We are determined to build a successful business, but without the right market development and promotion we are just another product out there." From the outset, OBE beef members have sought professional input and imposed the highest standards on themselves to guarantee product integrity to customers.
This meant seeking certification by the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM), not just at the property level, but through the handling, transport and processing chain.
A processing alliance
An early strategic decision to establish a processing alliance saw OBE link with Stockyard Pty Ltd, a venture founded by the Hart family which pioneered beef trading with Japan in the 1960s.
OBE beef is processed at Stockyard’s modern joint venture Valley Beef abattoir at Grantham just inland from Brisbane. The organic cattle are segregated in certified yards and monitored through the plant to guarantee product integrity.
The long-established Stockyard links with the Japanese beef trade have complemented OBE’s initial focus on this market which Ms Tully described as frustrating, but rewarding.
Members of the OBE group have travelled to Japan to gain a first hand appreciation of how their product is received by the trade and consumers.
US markets
OBE moved its first product into the United States in early 2000 and is developing strategic relationships to set the platform for long term growth in that market.
Ms Tully has received a study scholarship through the Federal Government’s New Industries Development Program. Part of her focus on international business includes the development of an organic product supply chain in Europe.
"There are a lot of issues to be worked through in the EU, but we are committed to getting some product moving into that market," Ms Tully said.
OBE has also received strategic support from Meat and Livestock Australia which is keen to exploit growing international market opportunities for organic beef.
Ms Tully said part of OBE’s
success had been its large supply base which provided a critical mass and
the ability to meet customer delivery demands.
The organic industry has grown in stature at an international level over the past decade, and there has been no more important international forum for dialogue and agreement between governments and non government organizations than the Codex Alimentarius process on labelling and claims for organic products.
The Guidelines for the production, processing and labelling of organic products has been 8 years in the making, and has culminated in May this year, with the adoption of the final section, relating to organic beekeeping and processing aids and additives for animal based organic processed products.
Codex Alimentarius
For those unfamiliar with Codex, the organization, which is fostered by the UN’s WHO and FAO, presides over a vast range of international standards and guidelines from labelling of various foods, to MRLs to Import/export arrangements and generally all of those areas which would influence the fair trade, consumer protection and health and safety characteristics of food.
Guidelines for organic labelling
The Guidelines for Organic labelling and description as described above, are just that, a guideline, which technically provides a basis, open to national interpretation and modification, which would underpin international understanding on operating a certification system and the standards which would characterise that system. Guideline as it may be, there is however, a harder edge to these guidelines when one considers that they would be used by the WTO in the event of a trade dispute, despite the guidelines attempting to distance themselves from this role within their text.
Australia has chaired the working group in the person of Ruth Lovisolo, an ex AQIS officer who was instrumental in helping establish the Australian Government’s position regarding organic standards.
The May 2001 meeting in Ottawa, was attended by Rod May, who has also been involved through the nineties in the compilation of the guideline. This year saw a relatively focused session, which consisted of two days of working group meeting prior to the full plenary session of Codex, which saw the final adoption of the guideline.
Organic beekeeping
Beekeeping has many national
approaches and is quite different around the world with respect to cultural,
topographic, climatic and geographic variations. The highly migratory model
of Australia is contrasted to the relatively sedentary systems seen in
Europe for example. Australia’s organic beekeeping sector is still a relatively
small one but holds great opportunity for the world market. The Australian
delegate argued for a set of operational guidelines which both re-enforced
existing Australian organic practices, and made competing models of organic
production explain themselves.
Siting hives
The most significant factor, which characterised the difference between Australia and other countries, was the nature and distribution of flora suitable for honey. Australia argued persistently to establish a model which would clearly require that only wild native (or exotic) vegetation or vegetation grown in accordance with the organic standards could be considered for organic honey.
There was, however, a strong (and understandable) view from Europe that some provision be made for flora which might be expected to be non organic to be part of the suite of organic honey producing plants. This view prevailed.
The implications for this are that if Australia were to follow the guideline, it would be considerably less difficult to produce organic honey than it currently is.
In addition to the siting of hives, feeding in the offseason was an important point. Again, there was some license permitted to feed bees with sugar (organic preferably) but provision was made for non-organic sugars if necessary. Clearly, in Northern Hemisphere winters, there can be difficulties in providing sufficient honey for this purpose.
A minimum of a one-year conversion period was agreed upon, with the need to change foundation wax as a prerequisite for organic honey.
Pest and disease control
A number of health management methods were identified as well as a list of allowed products for pest and disease control: lactic, oxalic, acetic acid formic acid sulphur natural etheric oils (e.g. menthol, eucalyptol, camphor) Bacillus thuringiensis steam and direct flame Bee welfare, general management and record keeping were agreed, as was the Australian proposal to require ongoing mapping of the location of all hives.
Food processing aids and additives
With respect to food processing
aids and additives, in animal derived products, the final list was a very
conservative one. Australia argued that a small list is not necessarily
the best list, with alternative processing aids and additives provided
within a larger list, allowing greater flexibility and precision in processing,
To this end, and in conjuction with NZ we argued for the inclusion of some
of the natural products seen in the list.
| 153 Wood ash
170 Calcium carbonates 270 Lactic acid 290 Carbon dioxide 322 Lecithin 331 Sodium citrate
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Traditional cheeses
Milk products. Not as colouring agent. Sausage casings Obtained without the use
of bleaches or organic solvents. Milk products/milk based infant food/fat
products/mayonnaise.
Milk products
Milk products/fat/confectionery
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A RIRDC research project currently in progress
Objective
The overall aim of the project is to collect, summarise and investigate current, often anecdotal evidence circulating about non-conventional sheep endoparasite treatment and control methods.
Cur Current Progress
The literature search and discussions with ‘organic’ farmers and other industry members have continued.
This work has highlighted several other potential anthelmintic treatments worthy of further investigation and helped to establish possible collaboratory research with other scientists in Australia.
A molybdenum and copper supplementation trial has been established in the field. Preliminary results will become available before the end of June 2001.
One site for a field Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) to evaluate several selected treatments has been located and a trial will be established at this site during June 2001. Currently it is planned to test garlic oil, apple cider vinegar and possibly diatomaceous earth at this site. At least two other field sites for FECRT will also be located during the next few weeks.
All data collected during the supplementation and FECRT trials will be evaluated before further testing will proceed.
RIRDC Project No: RWO-2A
Start Date: 15/07/99
Finish Date: 30/06/02
Researcher: Dr Rob
Woodgate and Kylie Woodgate
Organisation: The
Write Science, 35 Martin Road, ALBANY WA 6330
Phone: (08) 9841
6920
Fax: (08) 9841 6075
Email: writesci@albanyis.com.au
In August 2001 over 60 speakers, both certified and conventional producers, and 360 people attended the inaugural OFA National Organics Conference at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Conference drew together a comprehensive selection of speakers, issues and contacts that highlighted our great diversity as a national industry, yet encouraged us all to focus on the issues that really matter.
All enjoyed first class organic food, wine and beer, with the certified wit of Wendy Harmer as MC.
Senator
Judith Troeth gave the opening address at the conference
Proceedings of the Conference are available and have been sent free to all delegates. For those who didn’t attend, the Proceedings are available on the RIRDC website (www.rirdc.gov.au) and in hardcopy for $20 + $6p&h (phone 02 6272 4819).
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The Conference attracted
participants from
Australia and overseas to the 16 sessions presented. |
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Antonia and Joe Gretschmann from Elgaar Farms won the top award for Best Organic Producer (more than five years certified). |
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The Conference Awards Dinner was capped off by a great night of fine food and entertainment. |
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One of the highlights of the Inaugural National Organic Conference in Sydney was the presentation of the first ever Organic Federation of Australia National Awards for Excellence.
The awards were presented at a gala dinner attended by more than 360 people, who dined on a fourcourse meal made entirely from organic produce donated by Australian producers. In addition, all food served during meal breaks at the two-day conference was also prepared from certified organic produce.
The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) managing director Peter Core said the event was a great showcase for the organic industry and there were many outstanding speakers at the event.
"It was particularly pleasing to be involved in the first awards for excellence in the organic industry," he said.
The 15 award winners
revealed a high level of professionalism and expertise in the organics
industry.
WINNERS
Best Organic Producer
(More Than 5 Years Certified)
Elgaar Farms, Tasmania
Best Organic Producer
(Less Than 5 Years Certified)
Snowy Mountains Organic
Dairy Products, NSW
Best Organic Product
Kialla Pure Foods, Qld
Best Organic Independent
Retailer
Joint winners:
The Organic Market, SA
Kiwi Down Under, NSW
Best Organic Marketer
OBE Beef, Qld
Best Organic Education
Project
Nirvana Organic Farm, SA
Best Organic Research
Project
Joint winners:
Waite Institute, University
of Adelaide
Dept of Natural Resources
and Environment, VIC
RUNNERS UP
Best Organic Producer,
More Than 5 Years Certified
J&D Citrus
Best Organic Producer,
Less Than 5 Years Certified
Old Turee Station, NSW
Best Organic Product
Lloyd’s Vineyards, VIC
Best Organic Marketer
Joint winners:
Veroom Industries
Coles Supermarkets
Best Organic Education
Project
NSW Agriculture - Yanco
| GALA DINNER SPONSOR
Meat and Livestock Australia PRODUCT SPONSORS
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BEVERAGE SPONSORS
Australiana Eco Organics So Natural Foods, OZ Organic Stassen Organic Teas WENDY HARMER
ASSISTANCE provided by:
Wines Served (but not
sponsored):
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OFA
NEWS
News from around Australia is supplied by the Organic Federation of Australia
From an early age most of us were told that it was dangerous to put all our eggs in one basket. In terms of media outputs, the OFA may be guilty of concentrating on GM issues in the media to the exclusion of other news.
Understandably, GM issues are critical to the whole of the organic industry, and others in the community. Realizing that the media needs more than a diet of GM, the OFA has made a decision to complement the GM campaign wth media information about a wider spectrum of activities by the peak industry body.
The media has been enthusiastic about this new approach. In recent weeks the press, radio and TV have given excellent coverage of the new evolving OFA that is committed to industry development and consumer education.
The OFA is now seeking feedback from members about their information needs that the OFA might be able to provide. The OFA will establish sub committees to investigate, plan and lobby governments and other industry sectors where there are complex issues and enough interest from any sector of the organic industry.
Sub committees have official status and are recognised through a formal delegation under the OFA’s Articles of Association. Membership of a sub committee is open to OFA members that are approved by the OFA Board on the basis of skills experience and industry involvement.
The OFA is also investigating the concept of supply chain networks as potential tools for industry development.
Contact:
Rod May, OFA President
on 03 5345 7342 or
Richard Crossing,
who is in charge of the programs, on 03 9787 3092.
NSW update
In July NSW Agriculture ran a three-day Organic workshop at Bathurst. Richard Amery, the NSW Minister for Agriculture, officially opened the Centre for Organic Farming during a delicious lunch of organic regional fare, and spoke about raising the organic industry’s profile in agriculture.
Then RIRDC hosted the National Organic Conference & Organic Awards Night in August. Apart from the program, quality speakers and discussion, another great achievement was that the food &
Queensland update
The Queensland industry participated in the extremely successful 10 day EKKA 2001 show in August. We focused on portraying the certified organic industry as a sustainable method of farming and achieved fourth place for our display using fruit and vegetables to deliver our message.
Thank you to the tremendous assistance of David Whyle, various retailers, farmers, and distributors; volunteers; Biological Farmers of Australia, the National Association of Sustainable Agriculture, the staff of United Organics and to the many farmers who donated their produce.
Importantly, even after 10 days and temperatures of up to 30 degrees, the produce still looked great (a testament to the much improved quality of produce now being offered).
Volunteers reported that the public now seemed more aware of organics and were very keen to know more about how it was grown and where it could be purchased.
beverages were all organic - generously sponsored by the industry.
The venue had fears that organic catering would prove too difficult and too expensive. Detlef Haupt, Executive Chef of the venue, pointed out "getting product on time, not a week early and not a day late" was a challenge. However, he was impressed by the variety of the products especially the dairy products and salad mix which he said were excellent and voiced his pleasure in dealing directly with the producers.
The salad mix came from Queensland, the cheese from Tasmania, yoghurt & unpasteurised butter from South Australia, quark from New South Wales and the beef from Queensland.
If one of the country’s largest function venues can provide all organic food & beverages, then any metropolitan restaurant or conference centre can as well.
Seven of Sydney’s top chefs created an exquisite organic menu for a Greens Party fundraiser. It was a high profile dinner that highlighted the relationship between the environmental benefits of organic agriculture and delicious food.
It is encouraging that these dinners and functions could provide organic food. Another indicator of organic growth in NSW is the increase of "organic" restaurants. A restaurant, that recently opened in Byron Bay, is serving 85% organic and some urban cafes are now promoting their organic dishes.
Accredited Industry Organisations
The following organisations
are accredited by the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS, phone
02 6272 4164, email: organic@aqis.gov.au)
and meet the "National Standard for Organic and Bio-Dynamic Produce".
| Bio-Dynamic
Research Institute
POWELLTOWN VIC 3797 Phone 03 5966 7333 Fax: 03 5966 7433 Biological Farmers of
Australia Co-Operative Ltd
Organic Herb Growers of
Australia Inc
National Association for
Sustainable Agriculture (Australia) Ltd
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Organic Vignerons
Association of Australia Inc
1 Gawler Street (PO Box 503) NURIOOTPA SA 5355 Phone 08 8562 2122 Fax: 08 8562 3034 Tasmanian Organic-Dynamic
Producers Co-operative
Organic Food Chain
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| NSW | Ms Helen Scott-Orr,
NSW Ag
Ph: 02 6391 3320; Fx: 02 6391 3199 Ms Robyn Neeson, NSW Ag
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WA | Mr Steven McCoy,
Ag WA
Ph: 08 9368 3960; Fx: 08 9368 3355 |
| TAS | Mr Chris Brunswick-Hullock
DPIWE, Tas Ph: 03 6336 5272; Fx: 03 6336 4000 |
AQIS | Dr Andy Carroll,
AQIS
Ph: 02 6272 4783; Fx: 02 6272 3682 |
| VIC | Mr Gary Hullin
Austrade Ph: 03 9284 3275; Fx: 03 9284 3116 Mrs Viv Burnett, Ag Vic
Ms Sue Titcumb, Vic DNRE
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OFA | Mr Rod May, Chairman
OFA
Organic Federation of Australia Ph: 03 5345 7342 |
| QLD | Dr Peter White - QDPI Director
Ph: 07 3239 6024; Fx: 07 3239 6292 Mr Lindsay Coghill QDPI
Ms Tania Baumann, QDPI
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RIRDC | Merryn James
Program Assistant, RIRDC Ph: 02 6272 4205; Fx: 02 6272 5877 |
| SA | Mr Cameron Turner
Ph: 08 8389 8800 Mr Ian Lewis
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OSC | Mr Rod May
Organic Standards Committee Ph: 03 5345 7342 |
| NT | Dr Wayne Mollah
Ph: 08 8999 2394; Fx: 08 8999 2010 |
AFFA | Mr Alan Edwards
AFFA, Ph: 02 6272 4513 |
Organic Retailers &
Growers
Association of Australia
PO Box 12852, MELBOURNE
VIC 3000
Phone: 03 9737 9799;
Fax: 03 9737 9499
Tollfree: 1 800 356 299
Bio-Dynamic Farming and
Gardening Assoc. of Australia
PO Box 54, Bellingen NSW
2454
Phone/Fax: 02 6655 8551
Email: poss@midcoast.com.au
The Green Line Ltd
Phone: 03 9889 2299
Email: Mark@thegreenline.com.au
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Last updated: 22 November 2001
Copyright © RIRDC
http://www.rirdc.gov.au/pub/october01.html
