Biogro campaign targets organic labelling confusion

BioGro, the country’s certifier for organic produce and products, is marking its 35th anniversary by launching a campaign to combat misleading organic labelling in New Zealand. 

The ‘World of Good,’ campaign ran for the first time in 2017 and BioGro is hoping that it will be even more successful this year. Throughout July, Kiwis will be encouraged to look for the BioGro organic certification logo.

They will be entered into a prize draw if they take a picture of a certified product and send it to BioGro via email or social media using the hashtag #WorldofGood. Two prizes worth more than $1000 in total are on offer, with the opportunity to win either two nights in sustainable luxury with PurePods, or a certified organic hamper.

The aim is to educate consumers about the importance of choosing certified organic products, and to get them into the habit of looking for the BioGro organic certification logo.

“Over the past three decades, BioGro has been working hard to educate consumers about organics and how important it is to look for certified products,” says BioGro Marketing Manager, Robyn Vickery. “However, there is still a lot of confusion out there. With no official regulations governing the organic industry, it is still possible for brands to make organic claims yet contain ingredients that are not allowed in certified organic products.

“We want to make our ‘World of Good’ campaign bigger and better this year to raise awareness of organic certification among a much wider audience.”

To celebrate the anniversary, BioGro has also created special Gold and Silver logos for the companies and brands that have been certified for 25+ years and 15+ years. 197 New Zealand businesses have been awarded anniversary logos, including Paraoa Bakehouse, SeaLord, The Better Drinks Company, Zespri and Trilogy. A full list of the licensees can be found at biogro.co.nz/organic-products.

Over the past 35 years, the BioGro logo has become the most recognised organic logo in New Zealand. BioGro now certifies and accredits over 750 producers, farmers and manufacturers across New Zealand and the Pacific. 

For updates on the BioGro 35th anniversary and the World of Good campaign, like the Facebook page @BioGroNZ or follow BioGro on Instagram @BioGroNZ. More information on BioGro can be found at biogro.co.nz.