Australia, and Victoria particularly are blessed with a wealth of organic wholesale suppliers and retailers. Deciphering between quality, ACO-certified organic products can be difficult for even the most savvy consumer.
Between marketing lingo, price point differences and complicated labelling, it's no wonder it's difficult to figure out whether the products and fresh groceries you're purchasing are truly organic.
We're passionate about organic produce—the real stuff, that's been grown, harvested and processed without the use of pesticides and synthetic chemicals.
If you're considering how to choose the right organic produce for your home or business, here's how to balance quality with price.
Terra Madre's has Australia's largest range of ACO-certified products. Sign up for a wholesale account to get access to our wholesale organic produce and pricing.
What counts as organic?
- Organic foods, including fresh produce or packaged products, are grown naturally, without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilisers, and other man-made ways of speeding up the production process.
- Conventionally farmed produce—including fruits and vegetables, are grown using chemical fertilisers, pesticides and chemical herbicides.
At Terra Madre, we are an Australian Certified Organic wholesaler with the largest range of ACO-certified products.
The ACO is Australia's largest certifier for organic and biodynamic produce, which guarantees the organic integrity of food products. It's a certification system which means all origins of food products can be traced back.
This differs from uncertified 'organic' products, which don't go through a process of certification by a third party.
The risk of cheaper organic products
Organic produce has a reputation for being expensive. Unlike conventionally grown produce and products, organic foods require a longer time to grow and yields lower products.
Harvesting and processing with the use of pesticides or synthetic chemicals requires less land for growing and farming, yields high product and is a quicker overall process.
The risk of choosing cheaper organic products is that you or your business may be receiving poorer quality products. There are a number of moving parts to keep an eye out for when you're looking for organic products.
- While it's against Australian Standards (AS 6000) to label a product as organic if it doesn't fit a certain criteria, there are still misleading products out there.
- Cheaper, uncertified organic products will generally mean the food products you are purchasing may not be completely or wholly free human-made fertilisers, pesticides, growth regulators, and GMOs.
- There are 7 different certification companies that have been approved by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS). These each have individual verification processes, with varying requirements, so the standards for certification also differ which can affect organic product price points.
What to look for in your organic wholesale supplier
- Look for the term "Certified Organic" and the ACO badge on products.
- Look at the list of ingredients. There should be no artificial ingredients in certified organic products. So if you see anything with numbers in it, you can be sure it's not the real deal.
- Always ask your supplier. If you're not sure, have a chat to someone about the organic produce you're seeing stocked.
- Understand why your produce is priced a certain way. Large bulk byers such as Terra Madre are able to price their produce and products more competitively when they buy it in large volumes.
Shopping for organics at Terra Madre
Terra Madre has the largest range of Australian Certified Organic (ACO) food produce in Australia. The ACO is Australia's largest certifier for organic and biodynamic produce, so we're confident about guaranteeing the integrity and purity of all of our products.
Our business model
- Our business model is a bit different—we are the wholesale supplier for both our retail stores and other wholesale buyers in Melbourne.
- All of our ACO-certified organic products are bought in bulk and branded in house as Terra Madre products.
- By buying in bulk and direct to keep costs low, we can stock the best organic products at competitive wholesale prices.
Finding an authenic balance between competitive pricing and quality products
Terra Madre has been operating as a proudly local business for over two decades. Born out of community love and support, Terra Madre opened its first retail store in Northcote in 1996.
It's why there are very few organic brands with the same dedicated customers as Terra Madre.
We're proud to have been serving the local community in Melbourne's north for more than 20 years. And with our expansions and wholesale customers, we're excited to provide our organic food and products for even more people.
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