THE ORGANIC
JOURNEY WITH ROGER
Roger Pitt has been navigating the organic industry for over 30 years, handselecting produce from every corner of the globe. Recognising his pioneering role, Australian Organic, inducted Roger into their Organic Hall of Fame in 2016. Lindsay Spencer sat down with Roger, Kadac’s Business & Product Development Guru to discuss all things organic evolution. Can you tell us how you got involved in health foods and organics? Well, my health and wellness journey began at home when I was about 18 years old. At the time, my Mother was unwell and instead of traditional medicinal methods, she actively sought out changes in her diet and lifestyle. I recall my Mother reading Nutritionist, Gayelord Hauser’s “Look Younger, Live Longer”. In his late youth, Hauser suffered Tuberculosis, long before the invention of antibiotics and when surgery didn’t help, he looked to a Naturopath and to help improve his condition. After treatment with a strict diet of fruit juices, vegetable broths and salads, he was cured. Hauser then became a pioneer in the ’natural way of eating’, encouraging foods fortified with vitamin B, whole foods and the five “wonder foods” (blackstrap molasses, brewer’s yeast, skimmed milk, yoghurt and wheat germ). My Mother took to this and life changed forever. I saw first-hand how exercise and ‘the right foods’ can positively affect our health. This was only the beginning of the adventure that would lead me into the organic food industry. How did you get involved with Kadac? I remember visiting a tofu producer in the late 80’s and through this avenue, discovered Kadac. Kadac appeared to be the perfect mix of product and business fit for me and my ‘eat for health’ passion. I joined the team in 1990 as part-owner, heavily involved in sourcing and innovation. Within the first year, I travelled to Expo West USA where, to my delight, the world seemed to be embracing the organic trend…finally. At that show, I discovered my ‘inner entrepreneur’, soaking up the information, networking with peers and creating a global platform of contacts to kick-start the organic love in Australia. This world view was so exciting and eyeopening. 32 KADAC IN HEALTH
Back in Australia, it was still early days and organic produce was near on impossible to procure. Organic dried pears were the first item packed off at Kadac in late 1992, after we received NASAA organic certification for our packing rooms. Since then, my enthusiasm has been unstoppable. A colleague once stated to me, very frankly, ”Roger, there’s no money in organic foods” to which I replied “I know, but one day there will be”. For me, it wasn’t about the money, but the accountability, spending decades building direct relationships with farmers and brand owners. Having commercial partners as pioneers in linking the grower to the consumer has been an ongoing trend. Now, more than ever, customers want to know where their produce comes from. You’ve seen first-hand the industry grow and develop. What are your major highlights and challenges? The thrill of the chase has always been my highlight and drive. To meet the farmers and growers and see the specific production processes in place to uphold the quality of their harvest, is amazing. To then discover their story and share this with the Australian market is a privilege to say the least. With every opportunity comes challenges as nothing worth doing is easy. One such challenge for Kadac once an innovative new-to-market product was sourced, was transporting it back to Melbourne. Maintaining the products’ integrity was often a logistical hurdle, especially in the days of smaller pallet quantities. Once upon a time, both Quinoa and Savoury Yeast Flakes were sourced in tiny quantities. We’d buy a 55lb box of yeast flakes every few months. My how that has changed. With the full container loads we bring in today, the shipping containers are sealed at one destination, but when shipments are consolidated, you can still run into competing challenges.
Another challenge turned to opportunity was with Australian organic oats. We worked with our supplier to implement a new process for the organic industry, converting traditionally unstabilised organic oats, into stabilised to create a smoother and deliciously creamy texture for porridge. Hence the term “Creamy oats”, a phrase I coined way back and now adopted across the organic and conventional category. An industry full of challenges, where there is grain and cereals, there can be bugs! My goal was to eliminate infestation and I pioneered the use of the oxygen absorbers in organic produce, now used across the industry. My objective was clear - to offer the best quality produce in the freshest possible way. These oxygen absorbers were a game changer and meant we didn’t have to put raw wheat germ, LSA meal and organic dried fruit into the fridge for optimal storage. But without a doubt, my major highlight would be to bring tens of millions of organic meals to the Australia consumer. Something of which I’m proud. You’ve travelled the globe to find the best organic produce on offer, what was your favourite find and why? The first time Kadac imported organic quinoa, we bought ex Bolivia from a third party in Europe. Then Quinoa took off! The next import was quoted at a whopping 300% surcharge due to the new global demand and I wasn’t standing for it. Instead, I boarded a plane to Bolivia and went to source directly. Can you believe that by accident, I stumbled across the original growers co-operative that produced our first batch via Europe? Yes, they had a bag of Nature First Quinoa sitting proudly in their facility. I was gob smacked. To meet the farmers, know the farmers and directly support the farmers is an integral part of the organic cycle. A part I’m humbled to be a part of.
