Doug Haas, Chairman, Reports on the rise of the BFA
The BFA has always been a major force in ensuring that organic standards in Australia remain in the hands of farmers and those in the organic community who have a real stake in the production and marketing of organic foods and fibres.
Initially formed to progress the interests of farmers and processors who wished to promote and protect the message of organics, including the setting of organic standards, the BFA moved on to develop a certification program to independently verify that farmers and processors were producing in accord with those standards.
The BFA represents both organic and biodynamic (a specific form of organic production) farmers and hence the broader term 'biological farmers' was chosen as the group's name to promote a simple message that such farmers were using natural methods, not synthetic or unnatural methods to produce their foods for consumers.
The BFA was registered as a co-operative in 1988, following some key community and industry meetings across the country. In 2009 the BFA changed its corporate structure to that of a company limited by guarantee with overwhelming support of 94% of its members. This has allowed BFA to be formally recognized as an entity which is conducting its business nationally, with other benefits including reduced administration costs and greater assistance in operating on a not-for-profit basis.
BFA has moved office headquarters a number of times over its history. The head office remained in Toowoomba for some seven years to 2003 and then moved to Brisbane, Queensland, where it remains to this day, reflecting the maturing nature of the organic industry and the increasing demands on this growing organization to meet the needs of members and clients. The BFA has a regional office in South Australia – the Barossa – which assists in BFA’s task of operating its national and international programs.
The Barossa office was maintained when the BFA integrated with what was then the Organic Vignerons Association of Australia, bringing on board Australia ’s leading organic vignerons across Australia in 2001.
The 'Bud' logo
The 'Bud' logo was initially designed in 1989 by Rosemary Dunn of South Australia, one of BFA’s early and still loyal members, while sitting around the Dunn’s kitchen table.
The Bud represents everything that BFA is about. The growth and promise of spring, the sign of big things growing from the initial organic movement, and the strength and logic of nature and natural (biological and organic) systems in guiding our choices in life.
The Bud is a registered mark with IP Australia and is the oldest Australian organic certification mark in the country still currently in use. Many other symbols and organic signs have come and gone through the last two decades of the organic industry’s development in Australia. There are others, like in other countries of the world where organic products are traded, but none as recognized as the Bud logo. Most importantly the Bud represents Australia’s leading certification program 'Australian Certified Organic' – ensuring integrity of organic products in the marketplace for consumers.
As the industry and the market is now maturing and growing with an ever widening group of consumers, the Bud is simplifying organic consumer’s choices by being easy to recognize, now on the majority of organic products bearing an organic certification mark in Australia, and bearing the simple words “Australian Certified Organic” - what consumers are demanding.
Australian Certified Organic Pty Ltd (ACO)
Australian Certified Organic is an independent subsidiary of BFA responsible for the certification of organic foods and fibres and was set up in 2001 to distinctly separate the task of certifying and regulating organic products from that of promotion of the industry and representing the industry’s interests to government.
The early 1990s saw involvement from the federal Australian government following industry requests to establish a national organic standard for production and marketing for export. This was formalized in 1991 and remains today as a bedrock regulation upon which the BFA bases its popular Australian Organic Standard (AOS). The BFA maintains regulation conformance with all leading organic standards across the world, arguably making the AOS (now in its 6th edition) one of the most respected and rigorous standards in the world for organic production.
Such conformance includes the international organic organization IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements), the USDA’s National Organic Program, the Japanese Organic Standard, the EU’s Organic regulations, and others.
The AOS is available on line or through the BFA office in hard copy, and is reviewed annually to ensure it is both conforming with these international and national requirements but most importantly is also reflecting the interests and needs of the organic community – which include farmers and processors as well as retailers and consumers.
The BFA maintains the Australian Organic Standard (AOS) which its subsidiary ACO then administers – separating the powers of the “legislative” from the “executive”. BFA, and now ACO, maintains accreditation (approval and authorization to act as a certifier) with AQIS – the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, IFOAM via IOAS, USDA, and indirectly via AQIS with all other major government and private regulators across the world.
ACO certifies over half of all certified operators in Australia for organic production. BFA is the largest member based representative group for the organic industry, promoting trade, development and organic standards. The BFA as a consequence is the “largest organic democracy” in Australia , and indeed in the region, with the Board of 5 being voted on by members and members having key input into the direction and content of BFA strategies, standards and activities in the industry.
Member involvement in the company has always been a key attribute of the BFA.
Being resolutely focused on the needs and interests of members of the organisation and being financially accountable and practically focused, the BFA has grown to the extraordinary size and nature that it is today. It continues to build on these strengths and to service member needs and the interests of the organic community in Australia and abroad.
Brief Timeline of the BFA:
Early to mid 1980s: Organic producer meetings across the country
Late 1980s: Industry establishment of Organic and Biodynamic Standards
1988: Registration of the BFA as a Co-operative and first Chairman Dunn
1991: Establishment of the AQIS national standard for organic and biodynamic produce
1992: BFA accredited by AQIS as an organic certification organization
1994: Second Chairman Daiken
1996: Third Chairman McNally
1997: Fourth and current Chairman Mr Doug Haas.
1999: Establishment of new standards setting procedures: Organic Standard Version 2
2001: Integration with the Organic Vignerons
2001: Launch of the Organic Farmer (later to become Organic Business - member news)
2002: Establishment of ACO – as Australia ’s largest organic certifier, separating BFA’s other industry development and
representation work
2002: ACO achieves IFOAM accreditation and USDA accreditation
2002: Launch of the Australian Organic Journal
2003: Launch of the Organic Advantage – most circulated e-zine to industry
2003: New industry annual report the Organic Food and Farming Report Australia launched (available to members
September each year)
2003: Publication of the Organic Standard Version 6
2004: BFA head offices move to capital city – with the co-operative’s aim of “mainstreaming organics” in the coming
decade
2005: 12 Subcommittee groups are established to represent the various sectors of industry under the BFA Board.
2005: The Australian Organic Journal and Organic Business reach a greater level of professionalism and distribution of
6,000 through an agreement with Rural Press.
2006: Publication of the Australian Organic Standard (AOS) 2006, following on from Version 6 of the BFA Organic
Standard.
2006: OGA votes at their AGM to join the BFA Group and represent smaller growers through a separate certification
stream.
2007: The Australian Organic Journal changes name to Australian Certified Organic Magazine and is taken to a new level
of quality presentation in line with mainstream consumer magazines.
2008: First edition published of the Australian Organic Producer magazine, replacing the Organic Business magazine,
published through Rural Press
2008: Publication of the first edition of Australian Organic Market Report with independent research conducted on behalf
of BFA by University Of New England, Armidale, NSW
2009: BFA achieves company restructure from a co-operative to a company limited by guarantee. The company remains a
member-owned and not-for-profit business.
2010: BFA subsidiary company Australian Certified Organic receives the 2010 CHOICE Award for Best Food
Endorsement Program. Organic Growers of Australia, a second subsidiary company of the BFA is shortlisted for the
same award.