Editors: verify every factual claim before publishing. This page is OCAA’s credibility.
Organic standards in Australia are generally high and well regarded, both domestically and in export markets. But the regulation and application of those standards is poorly understood, far from straightforward, and under constant commercial pressure to weaken.
There is no specific regulatory system for organic food in Australia. The word “organic” can legally appear on a product sold domestically without any third-party verification.
The three standards
1. The National Standard for Organic and Bio-Dynamic Produce
Owned by the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). Certification to it is required for export — and can only be applied by certification bodies accredited by the department. Launched in 1992, it has been used for three decades as a de facto reference standard, but it has no legal authority in the domestic market.
2. The AS6000
Operated by Standards Australia. First published 2007; current version 2015. Certification to it is not mandatory, but it is the standard most likely to be referenced by the ACCC or by Australian courts. It does not satisfy DAFF’s requirements for export.
The AS6000 emerged after a major organic fraud case in 2007, when fines applied by the ACCC were used by the Organic Federation of Australia to encourage its development, along with the MP100 control document.
3. ACOS — the Australian Certified Organic Standard
A private standard, owned and maintained by Australian Organic Ltd and used by ACO Certification Ltd. Until 2025 there were two private standards in wide use; with the collapse of NASAA Certified Organic, ACOS is now the only one.
Why this matters to you
All food sold in Australia and New Zealand must be labelled in accordance with the Food Standards Code (FSANZ). Organic claims must be true, and false claims can be prosecuted by the ACCC or under state consumer law.
But the system as it stands is close to impenetrable for consumers. Products may be described as “certified”, “permitted”, or “allowed” — terms with no definition in legislation. Where certification bodies grant derogations (exemptions from the standard), the update logs are often not publicly accessible, and may not be known even to competing producers of similar goods.
What OCAA wants
One standard. OCAA supports replacing the export-only function of the National Standard with a new, upgraded AS6000 that serves both export and domestic markets.
We also call for:
- Separation of functions — standard-setting, inspection/audit, and certification should be independent of one another.
- Independent, qualified inspectors bound by a professional code of ethics separate from the certification bodies.
- Transparency in certification decisions, including all derogations.
- An end to synthetic inputs by derogation — including synthetic methionine in poultry feed.
- Support for growers converting to organic, delivered by an independent authority rather than by certification bodies.
Until this happens, the domestic organic sector cannot properly protect Australian consumers or honest organic producers.