Organic certification and labelling in New Zealand

The Official Organic Assurance Program (OOAP) provides a framework for New Zealand’s organic industry. The OOAP, which is administered by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA), was originally introduced as a means of ensuring New Zealand’s organic exporters would have continued access to markets in the United States and Europe. Legislative changes in these markets resulted in strict criteria being set for imports of organic products. The NZFSA OOAP complies with the very strict and legally enforceable European Community Regulations EC 2901 governing organic production. It has also been accepted by the USDA for recognition of organic certifying bodies.

New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA)

PO Box 2835
Wellington
New Zealand
Phone: +64 4 894 2500
website

Certification

While New Zealand does not currently have a uniform domestic standard for organic production, each of the three certification bodies involved with the OOAP provide domestic certification services. Their aim, in doing so, is to protect New Zealand consumers against deception and fraud in the market place by ensuring that all stages of domestic organic production, preparation, storage, transport and marketing adhere to predefined standards and are subject to both routine and random inspection. Each of the three certification bodies has established minium standards which must be adhered to by domestic producers. Details for each of the three certification bodies appear below.