To celebrate Australian Organic Awareness Month, leading industry body Australian Organic hosted a lunchtime BBQ at Parliament House, Canberra, on 19 September 2019.
Australian Organic Awareness Month (or AOAM for short) is one of the biggest promotional events on the organic calendar in Australia. Not only does AOAM promote certified organic products across a wide range of categories, it also aims to educate consumers on what certified organic means and how to trust that what they buy is truly organic.
The BBQ presented an opportunity for certified organic operators to meet and network with MPs whilst enjoying delicious certified organic produce including sausage, burgers, salad and beverages.
Joel Fitzgibbon, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Resources, opened the event, commenting that organic “is a really great industry”, and, “people are realizing in the agriculture sector that we’ve got to chase these premium markets.”
He also commented that big companies with large numbers of consumers are always looking for something different, with vignerons in the Hunter Valley and the Margaret River doing just that with certified organic offerings. Watch more here.
Minister for Agriculture Bridget McKenzie applauded organic operators to approach their State Ministers in pushing for domestic standards – agreeing that it is something the Government will be working towards.
She added that the organic industry “is on a trajectory to be realizing significant profits; it’s great for the environment, great for communities, and it’s not just about safe, sustainable, clean green food¦ it’s also great for our national economy and the growth of local jobs right throughout the community.” Watch more here.
Minister McKenzie also applauded the strength of relationships across the organic industry; “You’ve grown your domestic market share through a lot of hard work. It’s a crowded market, and consumers have an enormous amount of choice at the moment and I think that you, through your careful branding and consistent messaging and by working as a team across the certification bodies, means that actually the Australian consumer can go in and know with confidence that what they’re purchasing is organically produced.” Watch more here.
We’d like to thank all those that attended the BBQ and a special mention to Parliament House for their assistance in hosting the event.
