What Does Organic Mean? 

Organic is a word with many different meanings; there are 15 different meanings listed on Dictionary.com!

• To a chemist, organic refers to the organic chemistry of molecules containing carbon.
• To a physician, organic may refer to an organ of the body.
• To an artist or architect, organic may refer to shapes derived from nature.

In the field of gardening and growing the most often used meanings are:

• an organic substance, such as:
  1.    A fertilizer of plant or animal origin
  2.    A pesticide whose active component is an organic compound or a mixture of organic compounds
  3.    Food produced by organic farming/gardening

But there is another subtly different meaning relating to a), b) and c). In New Zealand, as around the world, organisations have been set up to define and regulate what is classified as organic for farmers, gardeners and consumers, so that they can be confident that the product they are purchasing is truly organic i.e. non-approved synthetic chemicals have not been used on them.

In New Zealand, there are two such certification agencies; BioGro^® and AsureQuality^®. Only products with these certifications will conform to international standards.

Other products may claim to be of organic or natural origin but they may have some level of non-organic ingredients or have been processed in a non-organic way that excludes them from certification and means they are not organic or cannot be used in organic farming or gardening.

The Kiwicare Organic Range of products is certified by BioGro^® as inputs for use in organic farming and gardening. So, with Kiwicare Organics, you can be confident that you are getting a product suitable for your organic growing.

David Brittain
Kiwicare