Australia: Organic Industry Champions announced

Australia’s best organic retail and online businesses have been recognised by the industry’s most prestigious titles - the 2010 National Organic Week Retail Awards. Presented by Australia’s leading organic industry body, the Biological Farmers of Australia and the Centre for Organic & Resource Enterprises, the annual industry awards were one of the highlights of a national line up of organic events and celebrations as part of National Organic Week  from 1 – 10 October 2010. Flannerys Natural Grocers (see picture below) has been awarded both the Queensland and National award for the best organic retail outlet. Director Tino Van Nieuwburg says the retail chain is honoured to receive such high profile recognition of their business, which has been a leader in the organic and health food retail industry for over 27 years. 
 

BFA General Manager, Holly Vyner says the awards recognise industry leaders and innovators in the organic retail industry. “With six in ten households now buying organic and the organic industry set to hit $1 billion retail in 2010 it is important to recognise those at the coalface of the industry – organic retailers. Retailers play a key role in developing the industry through making organic products and produce accessible and educating consumers about the benefits of organic food,” Ms Vyner said.

“The BFA works with all retailers selling organic products including the provision of free point-of-sales materials and posters for use in educating the benefits of buying organic. However, we also emphasise the importance of organic certification for retailers, particularly for maintaining the organic integrity of loose produce and bulk buy items. It is great to see that a number of winners are certified businesses and we hope to see this trend increase in the future.” For the first time this year the award categories also included Best Conventional Supermarket for Organic Range Offer, Best Organic Food Website and Best Organic Shopping Website. Award titles went to Woolworths for National Best Conventional Supermarket for Organic Range Offer, Wray Organic for National Best Organic Food Website and Organic Feast for National Best Organic Shopping Website. 
 
List of all national and state winners and runners-up: 
 
Best Organic Retail Outlet Awards

New South Wales winner: Aboutlife
Runner-up: Organic Feast 
Victoria winner:  Glo Health
Runner-up: Passion Foods  
Queensland winner: Flannerys Natural Grocers 
Runner-up: The Natural Foodstore  
 
South Australia winner: The Organic Market & Café

Tasmania winner: City Organics
National Winner: Flannerys Natural Grocers

The Best Organic Specialist Store Award 
 
New South Wales: Nature’s Child
Victoria: Rendinas Butchery Bio-Dynamic & Organic Meats
Queensland: The Meat-ting Place

National Winner: The Meat-ting Place

The Best Conventional Supermarket For Organic Range Offer Award

New South Wales winner: Woolworths- Neutral Bay Store
Runner-up: Woolworths- Caringbah Store  
Victoria winner: Leo's Fine Food & Wine
Runner-up: Woolworths-Camberwell Store 
Queensland winner: Woolworths-Indooroopilly Store  
National Winner: Woolworths
 
The Best Organic Food Website Award 
 
National Winner: Wray Organic
Runner-up: Aboutlife 
 
The Best Organic Shopping Website Award
 
National Winner: Organic Feast
Runner-up: Honest to Goodness

BFA