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Free range and organic pork
This guide introduces the steps and requirements your business will need to consider to become certified as organic.
Organic pork is produced without the use of synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, fertilisers, antibiotics or genetically modified organisms. When you produce free range and organic pork, your pigs are raised in a free-range system, meaning that they live outdoors on pastures or cropland that is regularly rotated.
If your pork products have been certified organic, they have been prepared, processed, packaged and transported in systems that guarantee they are not contaminated by synthetic chemicals, fumigated or irradiated.
Your organic pork products will usually fetch higher prices at market than conventional pork and your certified organic pork products have the right to be marketed using premium branding.
If you are thinking of becoming certified as an organic pork producer, you will need to plan carefully for a long-term commitment. Organic piggeries are managed very differently to conventional equivalents. There are extra inputs of labour and materials and the costs of maintenance can be higher.
Organic systems are strictly regulated and inspected, and the process of becoming a certified organic pork producer can take many years to complete.
Benefits and costs of producing free-range or organic pork
Organic pork products can sell for up to 50% more at market than conventionally raised pork. Currently only about 5% of pigs grown in Australia are raised in free-range systems but organic farming is one of Australia’s high growth industries.
Converting to organic farming aims to improve environments on the farm, as well as soil health, biodiversity and water quality for the surrounding area. Studies have also shown that organic farms have greater resilience in drought.
How organic farming is different
Organic farming is different to conventional farming in several fundamental ways. For example, organic farming focuses on soil health, which enables higher quality cropping and foraging.
Once your farm becomes certified organic, you will be able to guarantee to your consumers that synthetic compounds such as herbicides, pesticides, hormones and genetically modified materials have not been used at any stage in your production processes.
Organic pork supply chain
The whole supply chain for an organic pork product is certified and inspected, from birth to death and includes post-farm gate activities such as transport, slaughter, processing and packaging. All steps in these processes are documented and traceable.
Animal husbandry and welfare
Animal husbandry and welfare is fundamental to free-range pig management. Your animals must be allowed free use of meadows or croplands to encourage normal social behaviour. Pigs are raised outdoors, and must have access to rooting areas, wallows, and fallowing areas for piglets. You must provide shelter for pigs during hot or cold weather.
Costs of converting to organic
You will have to factor in some added costs for converting to organic. For example, because chemical pesticides are prohibited, there are higher costs for processes such as pasture monitoring and weeding. Free-range herds cost less to set up, but are slightly less productive in terms of weight gain, as sows can eat more to compensate for uncontrolled temperatures, so there can be greater feed wastage.
You should expect the process of becoming certified organic to take more than 3 years. You will need to budget for this.
Considering organic farming
If you are considering organic farming, processing or marketing, you should assess if you have the skills to get started and the knowledge to build profitable production systems.
To help you make this decision and make the transition to organic farming, find support through:
Site selection
The National environmental guidelines for piggeries lists the site selection requirements for a free-range and organic piggery.
Soil health and farm environments in organic pork production
Organic pork production begins with the health of your farm's soil. Your farm is treated as a whole ecological unit comprised of interrelated systems. Organic farming practices aim to minimise external inputs by recycling and composting your farm's waste as nutrients.
Looking after the environment
There are minimum requirements for managing the environment of an organically certified farm. For example, you will be expected to set aside at least 5% of your land to areas where there is no agricultural production. Wetlands, native pastures and tree 'buffers' encourage native animals and plants. Areas set aside will help you to manage farm pests and diseases.
The national certification standards lists the environmental requirements.
Soil fertility and health management
Healthy soil is fundamental to any organic system. For your farm to be certified organic, you must be able to demonstrate it is recycling nutrients and reducing external inputs. You can do this by:
- rotating the fields in which stock is raised
- cultivating legumes, green manures or perennial deep-rooting plants
- sheet-composting using animal manures and green manure crops
- spreading organic compost (certification standards apply rules on the make-up, saturation and temperature of composts)
- balancing the nutrients in soil to encourage microbial life for production of humus.
Livestock manures can supplement soil nutrients. Manures should be composted before use and they should be recycled on the farm that produces them. With manures or fertilisers, no more than 170kg of newtons per hectare, per year can be added as a recycled nutrient.
Water management and ecology
Organic farms should improve the efficiency of their water use by:
- increasing the water holding capacity of the soil on your farm with gradual humus build up
- improving your mulching practices to contain moisture
- using efficient irrigation equipment and systems.
Pest and weed management
Synthetic and nitrate fertilisers, pesticides and all genetically modified organisms are strictly prohibited from certified areas. You can control pests and weeds in organic systems by using:
- companion and trap cropping
- soil solarisation
- mechanical controls such as traps, barriers, light and sound
- protecting pest predator habitats
- mulching and slashing
- flame and steam weeding
- adjusting mineral and biological balance within the soil.
Certification standards list the substances that are prohibited and restricted on certified organic farms. Controls also apply to any plastics, sludge, seeds and machinery you bring into certified areas.
Selecting a site
If you are adapting an existing piggery to meet organic standards, or developing a new piggery, you need to assess how it will impact existing communities.
Learn more about site selection for free-range and organic pork from the National environmental guidelines for piggeries.
Pig management and welfare in organic systems
Animal welfare is fundamental to organic farming.
The minimum requirements for managing organic herds are listed in standards issued by accredited Australian Certification Organisations (ACOs).
Animal welfare code of practice
Organic pig farmers need to comply with the pig welfare code.
Certified organic pigs must be treated in certain ways and live within your certification organisation's certification standard throughout their entire lives.
Medicines and treatments
Vaccine treatment of pigs is strictly controlled. Vaccines may only be used for specific diseases – where the law requires it, or where a disease cannot be controlled by other management practices. Withholding periods are also longer than for non-certified farms.
Antibiotic drugs must not be used on certified animals. Certification standards list all the treatments that are prohibited or restricted on organic farms.
Housing and living conditions
Pigs must be raised in a free-range system, with free access to soil and pasture and space for normal social interaction.
You must provide your organic herd with an acceptable level of housing and living conditions, including:
- housing that protects pigs from rain, wind, heat and cold
- smooth flooring, but not slippery
- insulation, heating, cooling and ventilation, and air circulation
- safe dust levels, temperature, humidity and gas concentrations
- floor space of at least 3m2 per mature pig.
Bedding areas
Bedding areas should contain sufficient litter material, and where edible bedding material is used, it must be from certified sources. Farrowing cages are not allowed, and farrowing areas must have a minimum space of 1m2 /100kg live weight.
Prohibited treatment
These practices are prohibited:
- tail docking
- teeth clipping and grinding
- permanent nose-ringing of sows, gilts and boars.
Finishing areas
Finishing areas, whether on or off the farm, must also be certified. Certification standards list strict rules about mingling of certified and uncertified pigs.
Organic pig feeds
Organic farms cannot use feeds containing any kind of:
- synthetic nitrogen compound
- urea
- growth promotants
- stimulants
- appetisers or solvent extracted feed.
Any feed brought onto a certified organic farm must be from certified sources. On farms that are in the process of converting to organic, a proportion of feeds must be from certified sources. Suckling piglets should only be given natural milk, preferably maternal.
Transport and handling
Transport of animals between properties, or to markets or abattoirs, must minimise stress on pigs and prevent social disharmony by keeping groups or sexes separate.
Certification standards provide rules on the length of journeys, and the conditions for spelling areas. A certified operator must provide transport and handling equipment.
Steps to organic pork certification
Before taking steps to organic certification you should read the national standard for organic and bio-dynamic produce.
If you want to export your products, you also need to be aware of any extra requirements from overseas regulators.
Step 1: Contact an Australian certifying organisation
Your first step is to contact a certifying organisation (CO) and ask about their certification process.
The following are accredited COs in Australia:
- AUS-QUAL Limited (AUSQUAL)
- Australian Certified Organic (ACO)
- Bio-Dynamic Research Institute (BDRI)
- NASAA Certified Organic (NCO)
- Organic Food Chain (OFC)
- Safe Food Production Queensland (SFQ).
Step 2: Complete an organic management plan
After you apply, you will be asked to develop an organic management plan (OMP) that shows how your farm plans to implement a CO's standard.
The OMP will look at how you manage:
- soil fertility
- pests, diseases and weeds
- biodiversity
- water use
- contamination prevention
- record keeping systems
- livestock feed, health and welfare
- restricted products.
The OMP is also used after certification to monitor improvements on the farm.
Step 3: Pre-certification and certification audits
After submitting an OMP, your farm will begin a 12-month pre-certification period. During this time, a pre-certification audit will take place. The CO takes soil and tissue samples, reporting on any chemical contamination.
A second audit is carried out before the end of the pre-certification period to assess how your OMP has been put into practice. If the CO decides you are successful, your farm will then be 'in conversion'.
The CO determines the length of time that your farm will need to be in conversion, which is usually at least 2 years.
Following a second review by the CO, your farm may be certified organic.
Step 4: Maintain your certification
Once certified, you will be required to submit an annual statement showing your records are accurate. Your farm may be inspected, and unscheduled inspections can be carried out to verify the OMP.
After your farm has been certified, you cannot transfer certification to another property without going through a similar process.
Marketing organic pig products
Demand for organically certified food is increasing, as consumers demand better quality food with higher guaranteed levels of food safety, and the guarantee that animals have been raised in an ethical way.
Marketing your organic pig products in the right way can help your business grow.
Labelling
Pork that has been raised on a certified organic farm is entitled to:
- be marketed under the 'Australian Government Certified' logo
- carry the certifying organisation's (CO) organic labelling.
Using the Australian Government Certified logo on your pork product tells consumers that it has been produced in accordance with organic production principles from the farm gate through to retail shelf, and guarantees that a clear, traceable audit trail exists.
Certified products are only recognised where accompanied by valid and up-to-date paperwork that has to be carried by transporters and retailers.
Your CO will be able to help advise you on the use of logos on certified produce, and many markets produce their own labelling.
Retailers and suppliers of organic pig products
Retailers who sell organic pork products must check their suppliers to make sure their certificates and other records are up to date.
Retailers and restaurants claiming to sell organic produce are also checked by a CO.
© The State of Queensland 1995–2024
- Last reviewed: 08 Sep 2021
- Last updated: 08 Sep 2021