All facilities that produce or prepare organic goods for export must be certified. This applies to:
- producers
- suppliers
- processors
- manufacturers
- storage facilities.
‘Organic goods’ means any goods that are labelled or described, or goods with ingredients that are labelled or described, as:
- organic
- bio-dynamic
- biological
- ecological
- other similar descriptions*
*This includes goods and/or ingredients that are described or labelled as ‘in conversion to organic or bio-dynamic’.
Find out more about Australian export laws for organic products.
Importing country requirements
All importing country requirements relevant to the organic goods must be met. This applies to everyone involved in the export supply chain for these goods
Prior to export:
- check our Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micor)
- talk to the importing country authority
- check the organic export market access advice notices webpage.
You can also talk to one of our approved certifying bodies.
Becoming certified
You must be certified organic/bio-dynamic even if you are already registered with us for your commodity.
The application for organic/bio-dynamic certification can be completed through one of our approved certifying bodies.
The approved certifying body will provide advice on the processes for becoming certified organic/bio-dynamic. This will include inspecting your premises to make sure you comply with:
- the National Standard for Organic and Bio-dynamic Produce
- The Export Control (Organic Goods) Rules 2021
- importing country requirements.
Be aware that the transition to full organic/bio-dynamic certification can take at least 3 years.
To export your own product (rather than sell to someone else to export), check requirements for organic/bio-dynamic exporters.
Labelling
Goods must be labelled to meet requirements under the National Standard for Organic and Bio-dynamic Produce.
The label information for these goods must be:
- true and correct for that product
- verifiable (with no unsubstantiated health claims)
Translations for any information supplied in a foreign language must also be provided.
Other export laws
You may also need to comply with other Australian export laws. This is separate to the requirements for organic or bio-dynamic goods.
Check export requirements for:
- Dairy products
- Eggs and egg products
- Fish and fish products
- Live animals
- Meat and meat products
- Plants and plant products
Make sure the details in your organic goods certificate match all other export certification.