Organic industry peak body Australian Organic Ltd has asked for right of reply to UQ Professor Ian Godwin’s recent opinion piece published on Beef Central which claimed to uncover some dirt on what the real differences are when consumers buy Certified Organic foods. Here is AOL’s response…

Understanding Organic Agriculture

Organic agriculture is a certified, systems-based approach to farming that prioritises soil health, biodiversity, animal welfare, and the reduction of synthetic inputs. Far from being just a label, it reflects a rigorously audited production model built on ecological balance, long-term resilience, and transparency. For many farmers, it offers not just a premium market, but a roadmap for reducing risk, improving soil, and adapting to climate and input pressures.

Australia now manages over 53 million hectares under certified organic systems—accounting for 12.4pc of our total agricultural land and making us the global leader in organically certified area. This growing footprint deserves stronger policy, investment, and scientific engagement.

What the World’s Longest Farming Trials Tell Us

As debate continues over the value and practicality of organic agriculture, long-term peer-reviewed research offers essential perspective. Decades-long comparative studies—conducted by respected institutions in Switzerland, the United States—have consistently found that organic systems can match conventional yields while improving soil health, water retention, profitability, and resilience.

Science says: Organic builds soils, buffers climate, and supports profitability

• Switzerland’s FiBL DOK Trial established in 1978, continues to show that organic farming can deliver comparable yields, better soil structure, higher microbial activity, and significantly reduced energy and input use per hectare (FiBL, 2023).
• The Rodale Institute’s Farming Systems Trial established in 1981, has shown that organic systems outperform conventional ones during drought years, thanks to better soil water retention, while offering higher profitability over time due to reduced input costs and stable market premiums (Rodale, 2020).
• The Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial (WICST) established in 1990, has demonstrated that organic and mixed systems (including livestock integration) deliver strong comparative yield stability, enhanced ecosystem services, and sustained soil carbon sequestration—key markers of resilience under increasing climate volatility (Sanford et al., 2024).

Australia’s soils—organic systems offer a long-term response

The 2022 National State of the Environment Report confirmed what many farmers already know: Australia has lost significant topsoil and organic matter, primarily due to erosion, chemical degradation, and poor groundcover management. According to the Australian National Soil Strategy, over 75pc of agricultural land shows signs of soil degradation.

Rather than short-term fixes, we need enduring, systems-based responses. Organic agriculture—when implemented through certified standards and scientific best practice—offers a long-term approach to building soil structure, retaining moisture, enhancing fertility, and reducing reliance on synthetic inputs. And while organic certification applies to some producers, the practices and insights emerging from long-term organic research have broader value.

We need dedicated Organic R&D—available to all producers

Despite its benefits, organic farming research in Australia remains under-resourced and fragmented. Current knowledge relevant to organic producers is dispersed across RDCs, CRCs, catchment-level NRM bodies, and international studies. There is no nationally coordinated Organic R&D program, and little dedicated investment into how these practices translate under Australian conditions.

This is a missed opportunity. Organic research is not just for certified organic producers—it is relevant to all producers seeking to manage risk proactively, reduce synthetic inputs, build soil carbon, and adapt to market and climate shifts. Organic systems reward management intensity, not chemical intensity—and offer a blueprint for producers interested in long-term stewardship rather than reactive intervention.

What’s needed now is an Australian organic research hub or program, designed to:

• Trial and demonstrate best-practice organic methods in key production zones;
• Support transition pathways and input-reduction strategies for conventional producers;
• Equip agronomists and researchers with systems knowledge to complement commodity and input-specific programs.

Inputs are tightly controlled in organic—no matter what headlines suggest

Misconceptions persist that organic farming merely swaps one set of chemicals for another. In truth, Australian certified organic standards are among the most stringent globally. Inputs like rotenone are banned in cropping, and others—like copper—are tightly regulated, audited annually, and controlled application amounts. Certification demands that biological and preventative strategies be exhausted before inputs are applied, reflecting a holistic and pre-emptive production model.

With the UN Convention on Biological Diversity calling for a global reduction of pesticide use by at least two-thirds by 2030, there is growing recognition that widespread pesticide exposure can have severe consequences for pollinators, aquatic systems, and soil microbial communities. Organic systems offer a structured and enforceable framework for meeting these biodiversity and environmental goals.

A call for balanced discussion and long-term investment

Organic agriculture is not a silver bullet. The organic industry has consistently called for domestic regulation to protect certified claims and uphold consumer trust, yet the Australian Government has not acted—leaving a gap that exposes producers to unfair competition and consumers to misleading labelling claims. The organic sector is not alone here, as seen in the recent greenwashing Senate inquiry.

However, long-term trials around the world have proven its capacity to regenerate landscapes, maintain productivity, and support market demand for traceable, low-input food. As Australia faces soil decline, climate pressure, and tightening input economics, now is the time to invest in what works. That includes supporting a national organic research strategy—one that doesn’t just serve a niche, but advances practices that benefit all producers working toward a more resilient food system.