Collapse of NASAA Certified Organic Poses Export Risks for Australian Producers

In a significant blow to the Australian organic sector, NASAA Certified Organic Pty Ltd (NCO), one of the country's major organic certifiers, has entered voluntary administration, leaving hundreds of producers scrambling to secure new certifications. The announcement, made last week, has put approximately 400 businesses at risk of losing their ability to export organic products internationally unless they can obtain new certifications by September 26, 2025.

This predicament arises from the fact that products labeled as organic in Australia must be certified to meet federal government standards for export, although no such certification is necessary for domestic sales (ABC News, 2025). The sudden collapse of NCO has caught many producers off guard, as they now face the urgent task of finding alternative certifiers to ensure their products remain eligible for export.

Jackie Brian, Chief Executive of Australian Organic Limited, a leading industry body, emphasized the collaborative efforts with the government to facilitate a smooth transition for affected producers. "There is no additional charge going to be imposed on operators in order to have those certificates reissued," Brian stated, while also noting that existing packaging could be used for up to 12 months to allow for a transition period (ABC News, 2025).

The implications of NCO's demise are widespread, affecting businesses across various sectors, including meat, seafood, baby food, and dairy, as well as well-known brands like Costa Farms and Fonterra Australia (ABC News, 2025). Rebecca Weller, from South Australian organic compost producer Mulbarton, expressed the challenges ahead, highlighting the extensive paperwork and time required for recertification. "Every business would understand when you get audited it’s very costly financially with all the time making sure you make the standards," Weller stated (ABC News, 2025).

As the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry steps in to assist operators, calls for the implementation of a national certification standard are growing louder. Currently, while organic products exported from Australia must meet specific certification requirements, no such regulation exists for organic products sold domestically. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has noted that businesses claiming their products are organic must be able to substantiate these claims, but this has led to a lack of uniformity in organic labeling practices (ACCC, 2025).

According to Brian, Australia is unique among OECD countries in lacking a national regulation regarding the use of the term 'organic' domestically. "We are the only OECD country that doesn’t have regulation around the use of the term 'organic' domestically. In every other OECD country, you can only claim a product is organic if it’s certified organic," she remarked (ABC News, 2025).

The current crisis has prompted a broader discussion within the industry about the need for standardized organic certification protocols to enhance consumer confidence and market integrity. As the sector navigates this transitional period, the future of Australia's organic exports hangs in the balance, with significant economic implications for the producers and the industry as a whole.

In summary, the collapse of NASAA Certified Organic has introduced unforeseen challenges for Australian organic producers, necessitating urgent action to secure new certifications while simultaneously reigniting calls for national standards in organic labeling. The developments over the coming months will be critical in determining the sustainability and growth trajectory of the organic sector in Australia.