The definition of organic is “food produced or involving production without the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, or other artificial chemicals.”

In order for a grower to become certified organic, they need to eliminate these artificial chemicals in their own practices but they also need to look at their inputs to ensure what they are putting into their soil has no traces of these toxins either.

Compost is widely used by organic growers as a way to increase soil health and naturally improve the productivity of their plants, however, not all compost can be classified as organic and, in fact, compost needs to go through a rigorous testing process to ensure it’s compliant in order to get the organic certified stamp also known as BioGro certified.

What does it mean to have BioGro certified compost

BioGro is New Zealand’s largest certifier for organic produce and products and their certifications is internationally recognised which is great for growers who export.

The BioGro logo guarantees that a product is made without animal testing, genetic modification and the use of synthetic pesticides so when you see this logo you know it’s a genuine organic product that is tested throughout the various stages of the growing process.

As mentioned earlier, to become certified, BioGro auditors test grower's operations, and their inputs and they even go a step further to test the inputs, inputs!

For example - For Azwood to get our compost certified, Biogro assesses every single input that we put into our compost. They want to know the sources of our inputs and check to make sure they’re not treated in any way.

They then monitor the manufacturing process of our compost looking at the temperature, how many times it was turned and the humidity content amoung other aspects. These audits are conducted every year to ensure we continue to comply with their standards.

Which of Azwood’s compost are BioGro certified?

Using organic-certified compost is important for organic growers who need to ensure that their produce is grown using only organic materials to meet their organic certification standards.

Azwood has a range of BioGro certified compost solutions, giving growers assurance that what they are putting into their soil is 100% organic and free from toxins that could be harmful to their plants.

Enhance your understanding of compost with our helpful PDF guide.

What are the benefits of organic certified compost?

Compost that is not organically certified may contain traces of synthetic chemicals that can potentially harm your soil's biology or ecosystem.

Chemical fertilisers can be high in nitrogen and if absorbed too quickly by the soil, it will dehydrate and dry up the plant. 

That along with pesticides run the risk of contaminating your soil, groundwater, and other vegetation and can be toxic to a host of other organisms.

Organic certified compost can help to reduce environmental impact and support biodiversity in a natural way. 

From a sustainability perspective, organic compost, being free from all these toxins, is a much more environmentally friendly option and a way to future-proof your growing operations for a more sustainable future.

How do BioGro certified producers protect against pests and diseases without using chemicals?

Positive outcomes gained from using BioGro certified compost:

• Improvement to soil structure 

• Improvement in soil composition

• Increased organic matter

• Increased total carbon

• Reduce soil pollutants 

Buying certified compost takes away the guesswork so you know what you are putting into your soil. Got more questions?