Policy Lessons for NZ’s Organic Sector
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Webinar: International Policy Lessons for New Zealand’s Organic Sector
When: Friday, 15 May at 7:30 pm
Where: Live via Zoom
The Organic Standards Regulations and Organic Products and Production Regulations came into force in September 2025, setting requirements for most businesses involved in the organic sector—from production through to sale. There is a three-year transition period before the new system becomes mandatory, giving businesses time to move across. It's a genuine achievement for our sector, and one OANZ has worked hard to support.
But the work is far from done.
Simultaneously, New Zealand needs to negotiate a new equivalence arrangement with the European Union by 2027 to retain current market access. The global organic retail market is worth over $145 billion euros and continues to grow. Optimising policy design and decisions now will determine whether our sector is positioned to flourish or be left behind.
Our next Frontline Perspectives webinar brings together two leading experts to explore what other countries have done, and what Aotearoa can learn from their experience.
Professor Nic Lampkin will draw on his recent research analysis from across EU member states, countries that have taken very different paths to growing their organic sectors, to explore what approaches might translate here. Alistair Schorn will set the New Zealand context, drawing on OANZ's own research into the impact of EU policy on our land-based exporters.
Hosted by Brendan Hoare. All welcome.
Meet the Panel:
Professor Nic Lampkin, an Organic Policy Researcher from the UK, brings four decades of experience researching organic and agroecological farming and food systems across technical, environmental, economic and policy dimensions. He has worked for government agencies across the UK, Europe and New Zealand, and authored a bible for organic farming (Organic Farming by Nic Lampkin). Nic currently leads the OrganicTargets4EU project, a Horizon Europe initiative working toward 25% of EU agricultural land under organic farming by 2030, and will draw on real examples from across EU member states to explore what has worked, and what Aotearoa might learn.
Alistair Schorn is an NZ-based economist, sustainability practitioner and business advisor with more than two decades of experience across economic development, wellbeing economics and business strategy. He is a Business Advisor with Prime Strategies Group and serves on the boards of OANZ and REAP Aotearoa. Alistair was a lead author of the 2023 OANZ research paper on the impact of the EU Green Deal on New Zealand's primary producers, a report that gained significant traction with government, and brings a grounded understanding of what international policy frameworks mean for our organic exporters.
