What does being Certified Organic mean?

In Australia if a business wants their product to be independently verified as organic they will approach a certifying company like Australian Certified Organic (ACO) or Southern Cross Certified. Certifiers use Australian and International Standards for organics to determine what is and isn’t acceptable.

How to ensure you remain organic

In Australia the word ‘organic’ is not regulated so companies can legally use the term organic in product marketing or packaging even though they haven’t been certified. This saves them money from not using a certifier but it means you as the consumer can become easily confused.
Sometimes you’ll spot products that say ‘organic-based’. This typically means some ingredients are organic but there are non-organic ingredients, too. If you’d like to remain an organic gardener only purchase products that clearly have registered labels indicating they are Certified Organic or are Approved/Registered Inputs. Look out fo the ACO ‘bud’ logos and SXC from Southern Cross Certified.

How does the certification process work?

Obtaining organic certification as a grower or farmer is a rigorous process, which can take up to three years. It requires a commitment to improving their soil and its carbon sequestration, to farming without synthetic inputs and keeping all animals free-range, plus setting aside a minimum of 5 per cent of their land as natural habitats for biodiversity.

Site audits by the certifier occur annually and the grower or farmer must keep records showing how the business is adhering to organic standards. Manufacturers of certified organic products must submit the full ingredient list for each product and include details of their manufacturing processes. Just like growers they are required to keep accurate records and submit to regular site audits. The product labels, which will include organic certification logos, must also be approved by the certifier before being used in the market. Using non-approved ingredients, failing site audits or having non-compliant labels can result in the loss of certification.

Regulation reform

For years the organic industry has advocated for the introduction of domestic regulation around the word organic. In 2024 a Senate Bill was submitted to establish a mandatory domestic certification standard for businesses selling organic products. Australia is the only OECD country without one. A Senate Committee reviewed the Bill and while not endorsing it outright it did agree that “The lack of clear domestic regulation leaves some consumers vulnerable to greenwashing or exploitation as operators can claim to sell organic produce without any certification

The organic industry continues to push for regulatory change and recommends consumers write to their Federal politicians asking for greater protections around the use of the word organic

Steve Falcioni has discussed in more detail what it means to remain an organic gardener in his full article in the Early Autumn 2026 issue — get a copy here.