The federal government has responded to recommendations made for the National Organic Standard Bill 2024, over a year after the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee released its inquiry report.
Introduced to Parliament on 19 November 2024 after months of organics industry groups warning about greenwashing and exploitation in the sector, the National Organic Standard Bill offered a framework for regulating the sale or importation of organic goods in Australia, and stronger opportunities for exporting organic products.
The Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee spent the following two months examining the Bill, coming to the conclusion that although the committee recognises the need for better regulation of the organic industry, it did not recommend passing the bill without some key reform.
The report was tabled on 11 February 2025, and the government response came 14 months later – supporting the recommendations made during the inquiry, but not outright committing to a timeline for further action.
The response states: “The government is open to working with the organics sector, state and territory governments and other relevant stakeholders in more detail to explore the need for any domestic regulation and consider various policy options, both regulatory and non-regulatory.
“The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) will work with the organics industry and other relevant stakeholders to consider the range of policy options for any domestic regulation.”
Australian Organic Limited (AOL) welcomed the announcement, stating the process has allowed the government to review the issue in detail and resulted in agreement with the principles of the policy, with early work commencing between AOL and DAFF reviewing potential models.
AOL CEO, Jackie Brian, said the announcement is the clearest signal the industry has seen from the government in many years that it is prepared to engage with this critical issue.
“Australia’s certified organic operators have been left to compete in a domestic market where the term ‘organic’ can too easily be claimed,” said Brian.
“Our industry has called for opportunities to reform the current system to build consumer confidence, reward businesses doing the right thing, and enable our industry to realise its full value, both here in Australia and overseas. What matters now is that government, industry and other stakeholders work through this process properly and deliver a model that is practical, proportionate and fit for purpose.”
The organisation stated the next phase must now focus on identifying a practical and credible model that strengthens industry integrity, reduces greenwashing, improves consumer clarity, and better positions Australian organic businesses for long-term growth.
For further details, the Bill and Senate report are available here, and the federal government response is available here.
