Gold Sponsor Spotlight: How Ceres Organics Is Shaping the Future of Food

2025 Organic Sector Market Report
Gold Sponsor Spotlight: Ceres Organics Rooted in Purpose

Since the early 1980s, Ceres Organics has been a pioneering force in the organic food movement, driven by a profound commitment to healing the Earth and humankind. They passionately advocate for the transformative power of organic choices, believing that every bite shapes a better tomorrow.

What began as a shared vision among a small collective has grown into a mission to promote organic food as nature’s ultimate remedy for societal challenges. For over four decades, Ceres Organics has championed the organic movement, striving to make wholesome, delicious food accessible to all while fostering health, sustainability, and social responsibility worldwide.

We caught up with Noel Josephson, co-founder of Ceres Organics, to talk about what drives this values-based organisation, the current global food landscape, and the future of sustainable eating.

A Sector on the Rise

Organic food has been steadily gaining ground for decades, and Noel doesn’t see that slowing anytime soon.

“Organic has outgrown the conventional food market for the last 40 years,” he explains. “It’s a slow process of people waking up, realising it serves both me and the Earth. That realisation is gaining momentum.”

But Noel points out that while consumer awareness is important, real systemic change needs government leadership.

“The step change comes when governments step in to support organic agriculture, like we’ve seen in parts of Europe. In New Zealand, we’re not there yet. But when that support comes, the impact will be transformational.”

Future-Facing Food: Whole, Not Lab-Made

At a time when plant-based eating is exploding in popularity and alternative proteins dominate headlines, Ceres Organics is staying true to its roots—literally.

“Our portfolio is plant-based, but more importantly, we’re focused on whole foods,” Noel says. “We’re not chasing food made in a lab. For us, it has to be grown in soil. That connection to the earth and the cosmos is vital.”

Innovation at Ceres isn’t about gimmicks; it’s about listening. Trade shows and international connections keep the team plugged into emerging food trends, but it’s their values that guide which ideas they pursue.

“Being in the conversation matters,” says Noel. “We’re always watching and learning, but we’re discerning about what fits with our philosophy.”

Two trends that are shaping the future, he says, are the return to home cooking and the rise of snacking. “People are eating at home more, and they’re also snacking more. So we’re looking at both ends—how to make it easier to cook from scratch, and how to create genuinely healthy snack options.”

But innovation isn’t happening in a vacuum. As Noel recently witnessed at a major trade show in Germany, the organic industry is increasingly concerned about biodiversity loss and the vulnerability of crops.

“There are shortages starting to show—not just from climate change, but from a loss of plant diversity. Fewer crop varieties means plants are more vulnerable to pests and disease. It’s a warning sign.”

Trust Built Over Decades

When it comes to product sourcing, Ceres doesn’t operate like a conventional food company. Instead of chasing short-term margins, they invest in long-term relationships, many of them decades strong.

“It’s about finding growers who are aligned with us, who are not just certified organic but people we like and trust. If you share values, you can build something long-term,” Noel explains.

Some of their partnerships stretch back over 30 years, with many relationships now in the 20-year range. These aren't transactions—they're human relationships, built on mutual respect and a shared vision.

Covid, of course, disrupted international travel and added cost pressures, but it didn’t change the company’s values.

“Pre-Covid, I was away every couple of weeks visiting suppliers. Now we’re more selective with travel, but those relationships continue. It’s a way of being,” says Noel.

In many cases, Ceres works with intermediaries who aggregate small farmers, particularly in places like Paraguay, ensuring local growers have a path to market while maintaining close contact and shared standards.

“We always say we support local—local globally. It’s about building community, not just here, but everywhere our products come from.”

More Than a Product

Sustainability at Ceres goes beyond food. From pioneering New Zealand’s first eco-rated industrial building to supporting social programmes in sourcing countries, the company thinks holistically.

“We’ve run a number of social programmes with our partners overseas. In Paraguay, for instance, we’ve supported education and community initiatives. They’re doing the work—we’re supporting them.”

When it comes to emissions, Noel is honest about where the challenges lie.

“Our biggest impact is in transport, shipping and freight. We’ve made changes where we can—working with partners who ship and rail rather than relying on trucks, but we’re not in a destructive industry to begin with. We’re in a positive industry.”

To Noel, the biggest environmental impact Ceres can have is clear: “Transforming conventional farming into organic and biodynamic. That’s where we can truly shift the dial.”

Eat for Change

So what does it really mean to eat for change?

“Every time you buy something, you’re making a choice about what the world will look like tomorrow,” says Noel. “If everybody ate organic, it would transform the food system. It would bring us into harmony with the Earth.”

He’s a strong advocate for considering the true cost of food, something often hidden behind price tags.

“If you factor in the environmental damage of conventional farming, plus the healthcare costs linked to poor diets, organic is actually the cheaper option. We’ve just been taught not to see it that way.”

Final Thought

Ceres Organics isn’t just a brand. It’s a living example of what’s possible when values drive business. From the soil to the supermarket shelf, and from the farmer to the family table, the Ceres model is one of mutual respect, integrity, and care.

As Noel puts it, “It’s not just dollars exchanging hands. It’s holding hands—from supplier to consumer.”

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