The sixth Annual Australian Organic Industry Awards have celebrated the country’s organic industry over the past year, as a South Australian winery and New South Wales egg farmer take out the top spots for 2019.
Held in Melbourne on November 15, the awards were hosted by leading industry group Australian Organic, with more than 200 people in attendance.
Renmark’s Angove Family Winemakers was awarded Business of the Year, while Farmer of the Year was presented to Llandilo’s third generation egg farmer Petar Pirovic of Pirovic Family Farms.
Pirovic was recognised for his farm’s ongoing dedication to its 600 customers, such as independent fruit shops, grocers, organic retailers and food manufacturers. The business attributed its success to its staff who are trained in a range of quality assurance practices and safety standards, including the Australian Certified Organic Standard.
Angove Family Winemakers is one of the largest certified organic winemakers in Australia, with 400 hectares of its vineyards managed organically. It uses native pasture grasses, tillage and slashing instead of herbicides for its weeds, and fungal diseases and pests are also controlled and managed by natural products and predators.
Alongside its Business of the Year win, Angove was also nominated for a two more awards and Alcohol Product of the Year for its Organic Shiraz Cabernet.
Across product and industry categories, 14 awards were presented throughout the evening, as well as Gold Coast’s Mal Flannery entering the Hall of Fame.
“With so many innovative new products, successful business stories and extraordinary individuals, this year’s finalists are a true credit to our industry which has quickly become one of the most dynamic markets in Australia,” said Australian Organic CEO Niki Ford.
The full list of winners includes:
PRODUCT CATEGORIES
Certified Organic Food Product of the Year
Arcadian Organic & Natural Meat Co. - Cleaver's Organic Beef Lasagne; Toowoomba, QLD
Certified Organic Non-Food Product of the Year
Aus Organic Feeds - Aus Organic Feeds Retail Range of Certified Organic Chicken Feeds; Greenmount, QLD
Certified Organic Alcohol Product of the Year
Gemtree Wines, The 2019 Luna Temprana Tempranillo by Gemtree Wines; McLaren Flat, SA
Certified Organic Non-Alcohol Product of the Year
Teelixir Pty Ltd - Mushroom Cacao Latte Starring Reishi and Rose; Woori Yallock, VIC
Certified Organic Cosmetic Product of the Year
Ahria International Pty Ltd - Ahria Organics Herbal Essences Cream; St Ives, NSW
Best New Organic Certified Product
TOM Organic Pty Ltd - TOM Organic Applicator Tampons; St Kilda, VIC
INDUSTRY CATEGORIES
Best Organic Industry Innovator
Australian Organic Food Co; Braeside, VIC
Best Organic Influencer/Educator
Aimee Marks - TOM Organic; St Kilda, VIC
Young Organic Leader
Simon Schulz - Schulz Organic Dairy; Timboon, VIC
Export Market Leader
Marinova Pty Ltd; Cambridge, TAS
Retailer of the Year
Organic Angels; Torquay, VIC
Farmer of the Year
Petar Pirovic - Pirovic Family Farms; Llandilo, NSW
Business of the Year
Angove Family Winemakers; Renmark, SA
Chairman’s Award
Vanya Cullen; Wilyabrup, WA
Hall of Fame
Mal Flannery; Gold Coast, QLD
