the world of organic agriculture - Organic Eprints

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The World of Organic Agriculture 2006
Although no figures are available for areas under the different products, Wynen (2003) estimated
that, in 2000-2001, only 38 percent of the total farm income of 89 million AUD 2 (including
organically grown products sold on the conventional market) was received for beef and sheep
products, with around one quarter for grains and horticulture. Halpin (2004) surveyed 26
percent of all certified organic farmers for 2003, and estimated the total farm gate value of
organic produce (sold in the organic and conventional market) to be 140 million AUD 3 , 4 for that
year. Of the 127.9 million AUD 5 for the products sold on the organic market, 40 percent was
paid for beef, close to the estimate of the previous study. However, although fruit, vegetables
and grain still made up about half of the total organic sales, fruit and vegetables now accounted
for about two thirds of this, over 35 percentage points. In a drought-affected year, dryland grain
may suffer more than horticultural crops, which are – at least partly – irrigated. In summary,
even though a large part of the area under organic production in Australia is used for extensive
livestock production, products other than beef and sheep (many of them grown on mixed farms
anyway) have always been very important in organic production, accounting for more than half
of the total value on organic farms.
Wine plays an important role in Australian organic production and some major enterprises – like the
Pensfold‘s estate – have converted all or part of their enterprises to organic production. Photograph Helga
Willer, FiBL
14.1.2 Certification
Europe has always been a major market for Australian organic produce. The introduction of
EC Reg. 2092/91 in 1991 altered requirements for imports of organic products, which meant
that official certificates must accompany imports into the EU. To meet these requirements,
government accreditation of organic certification organizations became necessary, and the
Australian government (through the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS)
became involved in the accreditation of the private certifiers. In the 1990s, more organic
certifying organizations than the Bio Dynamic Research Institute (BDRI), NASAA and the BFA
(the certification arm of which is now called Australian Certified Organic) emerged, including
2 89 million AUD = 55 million EUR = 65.1 million USD (per 31.12.2005)
3 This figure was an average of 3 years, estimated by the respondents.
4 140 million AUD = 86.5 EUR = 102.5 USD (per 31.12.2005)
5 127.9 million AUD = 79.1 million EUR = 93.6 million USD (per 31.12.2005)