The New Zealand Government has appointed Mike Butterick MP as Associate Minister of Agriculture - Organics, a dedicated ministerial role for the organic sector.
Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) Chair, Noel Josephson, described the appointment as the most significant government commitment to the organic sector since the passing of the Organic Products and Production Act in 2023.
He believed this would transcend governments and become a lasting feature of New Zealand's support for sustainable food and farming.
"This appointment signals that New Zealand is serious about organic, and OANZ is ready to get to work," said Josephson.
New Zealand's organic sector generates NZD 1.2 billion annually, with NZD 606.7 million in export earnings in 2024, growing at approximately twice the rate of wider Food and Fibre export revenue.
Certified organic land accounts for just 0.6 percent of productive land, yet generates around 1.2 percent of total food and fibre export value.
Global demand for certified organic products is forecast to more than double to USD 650 billion by 2033, with the Asia Pacific the fastest-growing region.
The appointment aligned directly with the Government's export double targets and acknowledges the total value organic brings to New Zealand's clean, green, and 100 percent Pure story.
OANZ Board Member Scott Lawson, who met with the incoming minister last week alongside OANZ Adviser Brendan Hoare, called the appointment a genuine game-changer.
The delegation briefed Minister Butterick on the sector's export growth opportunity and was clear about the importance of protecting New Zealand's GE-free status, both for domestic integrity and market access for all producers.
OANZ will work openly with Associate Minister Butterick to ensure supporting regulations and associated policy progress are on target for full implementation in 2028. Central to that agenda will be protecting the GE-free foundations that underpin New Zealand's organic certification, export reputation, and consumer trust.
OANZ acknowledged the sustained relationship-building of Rob Simcic and Brendan Hoare with MPs and policymakers, which helped create the conditions for this outcome.
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