About us

OrganicFarmNZ is an organic certification scheme. It is designed to be a low cost certification system for (generally) small-scale growers supplying the New Zealand market only. It was established in response to the growing cost of organic certification, the global movement towards local food and the explosion in small-scale farms in New Zealand.

OrganicFarmNZ was established through the aid of a MAF grant to the Soil & Health Association. It was officially launched in November 2002. We currently have around 200 Producer members. The average producer is 10 hectares in size (ranging from less than 1 hectare up to 100 hectares). The potential for growth of OrganicFarmNZ within New Zealand is huge. Small-scale organics is the major growth area currently in the New Zealand organic sector.

OFNZ certification


 

History of OFNZ


There were several factors that collided to help OrganicFarmNZ become established. For years, growers had been complaining at the cost of organic certification. Small growers simply couldn't afford to be certified. This mirrors a world wide trend.

For many years, the Soil & Health Association debated the issue and possible solution. The biggest problem was funding. Thankfully a new Government required the support of The Greens. As part of their agreement on confidence and supply in 1999, funds were secured to establish what has now become OrganicFarmNZ.

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