Landmark merger a win-win for organic sector
The organic community celebrated the landmark merger of two long-established charitable organisations yesterday. Members of the Soil & Health Association of NZ Inc and the New Zealand Biological Producers and Consumers Society Inc (BioGro Society) voted in favour of the proposal. This means that the Society will transfer its assets to Soil & Health, on winding up on 30 September.
The merger brings together the skills and resources of the two charities into one strong, unified organic sector body.
Soil & Health will become the proud new owner of BioGro NZ Ltd, New Zealand’s largest organic certification agency. This will empower Soil & Health to carry out its vital education and advocacy work for healthy soil, healthy food and healthy people.
BioGro NZ Ltd will remain a separate company. It retains its own board of directors and independence as a company, with the excellent reputation it has built up over 33 years.
“It’s time to get really serious about lifting organics to the next level,” said Gaz Ingram, chair of BioGro Society. “Organic needs to become the new normal. It offers clean, green and practical solutions to many of our current problems, including environmental, health and climate change issues. The refreshed organisation will promote these with renewed vigour.”
“If we and future generations are going to survive and thrive, we urgently need to shift to producing food and other products that are organic, high value, safe, sustainable, GE-free and ethical,” said Marion Thomson, co-chair of Soil & Health. “By joining together we combine our strengths in leadership and governance, authenticity, public good advocacy, and commitment to healthy organic food and farming.”
The Soil & Health Association retains its name, as does BioGro NZ Ltd. Soil & Health’s flagship magazine Organic NZ will continue to be a strong and independent media voice for all things organic: food, gardening, farming and lifestyles.
Media contacts
Marion Thomson
Co-chair, Soil & Health Association
027 555 4014
Gaz Ingram
Chair, BioGro Society
027 511 8097
BACKGROUND NOTES
- The Soil & Health Association is the largest membership organisation supporting organic food and farming in New Zealand. In 2016 it celebrates its 75th anniversary. Soil & Health was founded in 1941 as the Humic Compost Club by New Zealanders who were concerned about degraded soils, increasing refined foods, and the links of both of these with declining nutrition.
It promotes sustainable agricultural practices and principles of good health based on sound nutrition and the motto ‘Healthy soil – healthy food – healthy people’. Soil & Health’s magazine Organic NZ goes out to members and to the public via retail outlets six times a year.
www.organicnz.org.nz
- The New Zealand Biological Producers and Consumers Society was formed in 1983 by Soil & Health, the Biodynamic Association and the Henry Doubleday Research Association, who all saw the need for a credible and internationally respected organic standard and certification process, in order to safeguard the interests of producers and consumers.
BioGro NZ Ltd (a company owned by the BioGro Society) is the premier organic certification agency in New Zealand. It certifies and accredits over 600 producers in New Zealand and the Pacific, is accredited to IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) and has an excellent reputation with domestic and export markets.
www.biogro.co.nz