4. Organic vegetable production

• certification organisations
• organic consultants
• organic (and conventional)
producer groups
• books and other publications
• crop and market forecasts
• organic wholesalers, retailers and
exporters
• short courses and workshops—
for example, Integrated Pest
Management courses run by the
NSW Department of Primary
Industries
• agricultural research and
development organisations—for
example, the Rural Industries
Research and Development
Corporation
• the internet
• universities, agriculture colleges
and TAFE colleges—especially
their libraries
• organic (and conventional)
farmers’ newsletters—for
example, NSW DPI’s Vegiebites
Newsletter and journals and
papers such as Acres Australia
and Good Fruit and Vegetables
• field days, agricultural trade
shows, conferences and
workshops.
This list is by no means conclusive,
but it offers a good starting point.
When seeking information, people
planning to convert to organics
should not limit themselves to
‘organic’ networks. Much of
the information available to
conventional farmers is equally
relevant to organic practitioners
(and vice versa), particularly as
conventional agriculture investigates
ways of reducing reliance on
chemicals.
Important information to have is
a copy of the organic production
standards. Each certifier has its
own standard, which is available
on-request. Some certifiers’
standards are on their website. The
standard adopted will depend on
the certifying organisation. The
certifiers’ standards are based on the
National Standard for Organic and
Biodynamic Produce, which sets
out the minimum requirements for
production, processing and labelling
of organic produce. The Australian
Quarantine and Inspection
Service administers the national
standard and audits each approved
certifying organisation to ensure
it complies with the requirements
of the national standard, the
Export Control (Organic Produce
Certification) Orders 1997 and
importing countries’ requirements.
The national standard can be
viewed on the AQIS website.
3.3 Conversion and
certification
‘Conversion’ refers to the physical
and biological changes the farmer
and the farming system must make
in order to comply with organic
standards. ‘Certification’ refers to
the formal process of assessment
designed to lead to accreditation of
the farming system as compliant
with organic standards. Before
going down the conversion path,
farmers should ask themselves the
questions posed in Figure 3.2.
3.3.1 Conversion
planning
Converting to organic farming is
not a short-term project, and there
are no fixed methods for doing it.
Each farm unit is a unique system,
and successful conversion requires
careful assessment of the resources
available and the interactions
between components of the system.
A degraded resource base and
economic pressures resulting from
previous land use can constitute
the biggest constraints to successful
conversion, and more specialised
and intensive farms will generally
take longer to convert. These
systems require more time and
effort to reintroduce diversity. The
Should I Convert to Organic Farming? –
Information to support your decision. By Viv
Burnett, Robyn Neeson & Dr Els Wynen
Provides information on organic production to
broadacre grain farmers to help them with the organic
conversion process. Discusses the inadequate provision
of information to farmers on organic production, and the
relative isolation (geographic, information support) of
farmers who wish to convert their farms. RIRDC Pub. No.
05/084. $16
conversion process calls for a high
level of commitment and often
entails financial risk. Furthermore,
there is little in the way of detailed
information and advice about how
to embark on the venture.
Basically, the conversion process
begins with personal conversion—
attitude and approach. It is then
important to develop a planning
framework. Often called an
‘organic management plan’, the
framework accommodates changes
in production methods and the
potential financial consequences
and outlines strategies for continued
adherence to organic standards.
It should also set out the steps to
be followed during conversion
and a time scale over which the
conversion will occur. Preparation
of such a plan is an essential precertification
activity.
3.3.2 Developing an
organic management
plan
When developing an organic
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