Kia ora koutou and welcome to the October edition of MPI Organic News

There has been considerable work underway here at MPI and we thought it timely to provide a recap and an update all the work to date. 

The Organic Products and Production Act (the Act) received Royal Assent and became law on April 5, 2023. The purpose of the Act is to:

• increase consumer confidence in buying products labelled "organic"
• increase certainty for businesses claiming products as organic
• facilitate international trade in organic products.

The regime will set requirements for most businesses involved in the organic sector, from production through to sale. Once the National Organic Standard is promulgated and a product is restricted by the standard, there will be a period for operators to move into the new system before it becomes mandatory.

In April 2023 Cabinet agreed to the proposals for Organic Process Regulations under the Act and for drafting of these regulations to commence.  It also agreed to MPI consulting on proposals for a National Organic Standard. You can find a link to that Cabinet paper here.  In September 2023 Cabinet agreed to the proposals for National Organic Standard Regulations under the Act and for drafting of these regulations to commence. You can find a link to that Cabinet paper and appendix here.

In February 2024, the Parliamentary Counsel Office began drafting the Organic Process and National Organic Standard Regulations.

The Organic Process Regulations are made up of the following 10 parts: General; Operator approval; Recognised entity requirements and approval; Verification; Public registers, Records; Imports, Exports; Cost Recovery; Enforcement; and Exemptions.

The National Organic Standard Regulations are made up of the following seven parts: General; Plants; Wild Harvest; Livestock; Aquaculture; Apiary; and Processed Products.

MPI continues to work at pace to systematically review, re-draft, and further refine versions of the Organic Process and National Organic Standard Regulations, this drafting process involves continual cross-referencing against the proposals cabinet agreed to, to ensure the policy intent remains at the forefront of the regulation development.

The Organic Sector Advisory Council has provided feedback on draft regulations during the review process and Organics Aotearoa New Zealand’s technical working group has been engaged by MPI to support development of the National Organic Standard supplementary notice.

Due to the complex nature of the regulations, it is now expected that the Organic Process and National Organic Standard Regulations will be promulgated in April 2025. 

MPI has almost completed the process of comparing the European Union’s organic legislation with New Zealand’s Organic Products and Production Act and its draft regulations and notices. This analysis assists both parties with making a preliminary determination regarding equivalency. More detailed conversations and negotiations with the EU are expected later this year and into next year.

Upcoming key dates

Supplementary Notices

Public consultation on the supplementary notices will occur after the Organic Process and National Organic Standard regulations have been finalised. 

Future regulation development

A draft cost recovery discussion paper is being prepared for cabinet approval in early 2025 with public consultation planned for mid-2025. This is also likely to be when other regulations are considered, such as infringements and the national organic mark. 

Important Information for Organic Exports to Great Britain – Location codes for ports of entry in Great Britain

MPI would like to remind all organic exporters to Great Britain to verify the location code for the ports of entry in Great Britain which can be found on the UK Government webpage prior to submitting the Certificate of Inspection. This will help mitigate barriers at the port of entry.