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The state of organics in Aotearoa — and what's holding it back

$1.18 billion and growing 13% a year, on 0.6% of our farmland. The gap is the opportunity.

Oliver de Groot, Organic Matters

6 min read · 12 August 2026

New Zealand's organic sector was valued at $1.18 billion in 2024, up from $723 million in 2020 — a compound annual growth rate of 13%. Exports made up $606.7 million of that and grew at nearly twice the rate of primary sector exports overall. Fruit and vegetables lead at 40.3% of exports, then dairy at 35.3% and wine at 12.2%. Domestic consumption reached $572 million, including $190 million through foodservice, measured for the first time in the 2025 report.

Now the uncomfortable number: only 0.6% of New Zealand farmland is certified organic. We are a country whose entire export brand rests on clean, natural production, and we are far behind global benchmarks on the one production system that can actually verify that claim.

The barriers are well understood. Certification costs fall hardest on small producers. The three-year conversion period means three years of organic costs at conventional prices. Domestic demand is strong in sentiment but thin in behaviour — 84% of New Zealanders view organics positively and 81% buy them sometimes, but only about 10% buy them regularly. And unverified 'green' claims from larger competitors dilute the value of genuine certification.

The regulatory picture is changing. The Organic Products and Production Act 2023 establishes a single national standard and legally controls who can make an organic claim. Consultation on the standard has run in tranches through 2025 and 2026, with cost recovery beginning mid-2026. Done well, this is the biggest trust-building event in the history of the sector.

Denmark shows what's possible. It has the highest organic market share in the world at around 13% of food sales, with 30–50% share for staples like milk, eggs and flour. That did not happen by accident: a state-controlled Organic-label introduced in 1990 and now recognised by over 95% of Danes, a national Organic Action Plan combining production support with demand-side measures, and a target of 60% organic food in public kitchens. Push and pull, together, for thirty years.

New Zealand has the land, the climate, the export relationships and the brand. What it has lacked is a co-ordinated demand-side effort. That is what this platform is for. Let us walk this path together.