Australian Organic Industry Awards | 2022 Winners Announced

Industry Awards

2022 WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

A Queensland strawberry farmer, the head of Australia’s largest organic mushroom producer, and a Victorian dairy company were among 10 award winners at the 8th Australian Organic Industry Awards on Friday night.

Held at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley in Lovedale, NSW, peak industry body Australian Organic Limited (AOL) announced the night’s honourees, who collectively span an impressive and diverse range of certified organic products from fresh produce, dairy and meat, to pantry items and pharmaceutical ingredients.

AOL Chief Executive Officer, Niki Ford, said the Awards were an opportunity to recognise excellence and diversity within organics, and applauded the winners for their contribution to the nation’s $2 billion industry.

“The standard of these awards continues to reach new heights, and this year’s winners demonstrate innovation and leadership within the organic sector and how it continues to progress and evolve,” Ms Ford said.

“It has also been encouraging to witness, particularly in the individual categories, many winners choosing a career in organics, or to implement it in their business, as they have seen both the environmental and economic benefits of organic production.

“It is clear from the winners’ applications they are making a significant impact not just on their businesses, but also the broader industry, while also contributing to the national economy and the wellbeing of Australians and international customers.”

More than 100 organic operators, industry figures and local dignitaries were in attendance

The winner of the coveted Farmer of the Year title was Sunshine Coast-based strawberry farmer Brendon Hoyle who applies innovative farming methods to produce what he believes are the sweetest berries on the market. Mr Hoyle’s operation, Ashbern Farms, grows organic strawberries in winter in the Glass House Mountains, and non-organic strawberries in Stanthorpe over summer.

CEO and General Manager of Victoria’s Bulla Farms, Georgia Beattie, was recognised as Organic Woman of the Year. As well as her role as CEO of Australia’s largest organic mushroom company, Ms Beattie sits on a number of boards including Australia’s largest certifying body, ACO Certification Ltd. It is from these leadership roles that she has been influential in making structural changes within industry to champion women.

Two new categories were featured in the Awards this year, the Innovation Award, won by Tasmanian biotech company Marinova Pty Ltd, and Brand of the Year, which went to Queensland organic flour and wholefoods company Kialla Pure Foods.

Ms Ford said the winners were emblematic of the dynamic and driven people who are helping to move the industry forward.

“Year after year these Awards showcase the broad range of Australia’s best certified organic producers, manufacturers and retailers,” she said.

“As an industry it is more important than ever that we all play a role in upholding the integrity of this great industry, and to continue to supply customers with nutritious food and consumables.

“Seeing the winners of these Awards gives me great confidence that the future of organics is in excellent hands.”

Special Honours

CHAIRMAN’S AWARD & AOL HALL OF FAME

THE winners of two of the most prestigious honours in the Australian organic industry have been unveiled at the 2022 Australian Organic Industry Awards.

Australian Organic Limited Chairman, Martin Meek, said it was a privilege to select the inductee into the AOL Hall of Fame and the recipient of the Chairman’s Award.

“This year’s honourees, Alister Ferguson and Kane Busch, were chosen because one is aspirational and the other is inspirational, and both speak to the risk and the love of organics,” Mr Meek said.

Chairman’s Award winner: Kane Busch, Busch Organics, East Gippsland

Young Victorian grower Kane Busch, whose family grows broccoli, beetroot, cabbage, carrots, and parsnip at Lindenow on the Mitchell River floodplain, said he’s honoured to be the recipient of the Chairman’s Award.

“As producers we don’t chase awards but it’s nice to be recognised for the job that we do in feeding people,” Mr Busch said.

Kane paid tribute to his grandfather Lex, who was the driving force behind the farm’s push to become certified organic in 2000, and said he wanted to inspire others as Lex had done.

“My hope is that the excitement of growing organics and increased returns will encourage younger people to get involved in the industry,” he said.

“Agriculture and horticulture are exciting spaces to be in. You’re not just sitting in a tractor working paddocks all day. With the specialised nature of growing and packing there are high tech, fast-paced roles available, and we need to get young people and new faces into the industry.”

2022 has been a tough growing year for Busch Organics, a family operation also involving Kane’s brothers Matt and Damien, as well as his father Chris. Despite this, a highlight was the local community effort that defeated a mineral sands mine being built on the plateau above their farm.

“For the last seven years we’ve been campaigning against the mine proposal for a site above the Mitchell River Valley, which would pose a great risk to our organic status,” he said.

“AOL were fantastic in assisting us to gather support, and the Minister decided that the risks were too great if the mine went ahead.”

AOL Hall of Fame inductee: Alister Ferguson, Toowoomba

As a student at Orange Agricultural College in the 1990s, Alister Ferguson wrote his PhD thesis about organic beef, and went on to help build one of the world’s biggest and most successful organic businesses, Arcadian Organic & Natural Meat Co.

He sold his share in the company at the end of 2021 and has since developed his business interests in the southeast Queensland town of Toowoomba, which include The Paddock Butchery, The Plate Restaurant, Bone Idol Brewery and The Shed Coffee Drive Thru.

“It’s a great honour to be recognised by AOL and a nice way to finish my current period in the industry. I remember at the first Organic Expo in Sydney there was a lot of gum leaves and hessian, but it was an exciting period and a lot of fledgling businesses from those days have done really well,” Mr Ferguson said.

“Fundamentally, all the messages when I started in business are as relevant today; that you need continuity of supply 12 months of the year, you pay premiums to encourage supply, but at the same time maintain the quality.

“As the market matures, what you tend to see is that if parents have bought organic food for their children, then they become your next consumers. It’s happened in Europe, the US and Australia, that those children will keep buying a portion of the shopping basket as organic.”

“It’s got a great future. Everything that’s got the organic industry to where it is today won’t go away.”

Australian Organic Industry Awards 2022 Winners

Brand of the Year - Kialla Pure Foods

Kialla Pure Foods is a pioneer in organic processing, operating from the Darling Downs region of Queensland since 1988. In 2022, the Kialla team has launched more than 22 items in the big 2 major retailers, achieving over 5000 new distribution points and resulting in an 80% increase over 2021 retail sales.

Business of the Year - Dr Oetker Queen Australia

Dr Oetker Queen Australia is a world-leader in premium organic vanilla products, a staple in many Australian kitchens for 125 years. The business uses organic vanilla beans as their main starting raw material for multiple products, including organic extracts, pastes and bean pods.

Innovation Award - Marinova Pty Ltd

Marinova is regarded as the global leader in fucoidan science. The company studies, develops and manufactures fucoidan compounds, which are found in select species of brown seaweed. The output is used for a range of nutritional, pharmaceutical and skin care applications.

New Product of the Year - Organic Cheddar Block 400g, The Organic Milk Co.

With their Organic Cheddar Block, The Organic Milk Co have bought an everyday staple to consumers on a national scale, with the new product available in more than 650 stores across Australia. This kind of availability is unprecedented for Australian sourced and produced organic dairy products.

Retailer of the Year - Coles Supermarkets

The major retailer has expanded its organic section in all stores, as well as refreshing their branding on more than 72 products. All organic fresh produce items now display their certification mark, while an ‘In Conversion’ tier has been added to support new growers and increase volume for consumers.

Farmer of the Year - Brendon Hoyle, Ashbern Farms

Brendon is one of the directors at Ashbern Farms, who grow organic winter strawberries near the Glass House Mountains on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. He has worked with entomologists, deploys beneficial insects and even uses an innovative bug vacuum to control fruit flies and Rutherglen bugs.

Organic Woman of the Year - Georgia Beattie, Bulla Park

Georgia Beattie is CEO of Australia’s largest organic mushroom farm, Bulla Park. A 2021 Nuffield Scholar, Georgia has held board positions in agricultural companies and worked to change constitutions and codes of conduct to reflect a goal of 50:50 gender distribution.

Young Organic Leader - Green Camel Organic Produce, Andrew McIlwain

Andrew McIlwain is GM and Agronomy Manager for Sydney-based Green Camel Organic Produce, which grows tomatoes, baby cucumbers, raspberries, and barramundi from 2.5 hectares of commercial glasshouses. Andrew is a keen spokesperson for organics within Protected Cropping.