Page 27 - Food & Drink March 2020

a ranging area and was of big appeal to consumers.”
The organic accreditation process is extensive and lengthy. To become a fully certified organic farmer with Australian Certified Organic involves a compulsory three year “in conversion” process.
Producers are not allowed to sell products until fully certified, then regular and spot auditing is carried out throughout the year to make sure standards are being upheld.
Pirovic says: “The ongoing auditing process to remain certified is an extremely in-depth process, so consumers can feel confident that the products have
been produced in accordance to the strict organic guidelines.”
“Australia is the only developed country not to have domestic regulation around the word ‘organic’, which means there is confusion for consumers about what is authentically organic and what isn’t.
“The Australian Organic association will this year be fighting to put domestic regulation in place, which will be a great step forward for the organic industry and consumers.
“Consumers should be confident when purchasing any ‘Certified Organic’ labelled product that the product is genuinely organic.”
ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS
PFF installed an 800-kilowatt solar system in 2016 at one of its farms. More than 3000 solar panels with 25x25 kilowatt inverters generate around 925 megawatt hours of energy per year. Its goal is to install solar systems on all sites.
Organic farming puts strict restrictions on the use of pesticides, strict non-GMO requirements and certain organic feed requirements.
“Our organic free-range eggs are laid from hens that feed on certified organic natural grains that were grown without pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or commercial fertilisers.
“To achieve our objectives, we use various natural techniques such as rotational grazing, companion planting and naturally exposing pests to predators through cultivation techniques.
“Additionally, there is a lower stocking density requirement, so this helps soil on the property regenerate,” he says.
The organic farm also keeps all its water on the premises, with much of it reused through a recyclable filtration system and treatment.
PFF is a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant and has worked on projects to remove non-recyclable plastics and materials from its processes for the last 15 years.
Its move to a non-bleached and/ or colour dyed packaging in 2013 means its packaging is now made of fully recycled materials.
The following year it adopted a generic box system that requires less ink and chemicals for printing.
In 2018, PFF introduced its Chain of Responsibility policy for its transport and receivables system to reduce carbon emissions and reduce fuel consumption. “It is our goal to do our part to ensure all logistical companies, drivers, contractors, suppliers and vehicles arriving or leaving our sites are monitored, recorded and have safety checks carried out before leaving to help reduce road accidents related to driver fatigue or poor transport equipment,” Pirovic says.
While all these initiatives have worked well, Pirovic says the company is always looking to improve and try new techniques to ensure animal health and positive environmental outcomes, all while providing the best quality eggs to market. ✷
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