Whakatane Organics

08/12/2025

Whakatane Organics Christmas Hours
Closed from 25th December till 5th January 2026

06/12/2025

𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐙’𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥

New Zealand is about to make one of the biggest shifts to food labelling we’ve seen in decades — and it’s happening quietly.

MPI is proposing a digital labelling trial that would allow certain mandatory information (like ingredients, allergens, nutrition panels, storage instructions) to be moved off the packet and onto a webpage accessed through a QR code.

Sounds modern.
Sounds convenient.
But here’s the catch:

➡️ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲.
➡️ 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬.

The Government’s own Product Labelling Review found that:

🔹 𝟔𝟓% 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 said labelling rules already impose unnecessary compliance costs.
🔹 Many called the system 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝.
🔹 Accessibility concerns were raised —𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚, 𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
🔹 Mandatory information is 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞.

None of those problems are fixed by shifting labels online.

And absolutely 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 in this trial requires companies to publish real safety data — no residue testing, no pesticide panels, no AMPA levels, no batch results. Just the same old information… moved to a website.

If we don’t speak up now, we risk sleepwalking into a system where “transparency” becomes dependent on Wi-Fi, battery life, and brand spin.

📣 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝟏𝟗 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓.
This is your chance to ask better questions — and insist that food safety doesn’t get diluted in the name of “innovation.”

👉 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: Proposal to enable a limited trial of digital labelling on certain imported food products
(Look for MPI’s SurveyMonkey link on the page.)

Let’s make sure digital progress doesn’t replace real transparency.
Your voice matters — especially on something as fundamental as what we feed our families.

26/11/2025

https://vimeo.com/1135963956?&login=true =_

If you want understand what GMOs are and the changes being made by our present government. Then please see and listen to this recorded meeting ( GMO it is not all about the organic industry).

This is "The future of GEGMOPB in NZ - Meeting Recording" by Zespri International on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

30/10/2025

Breadman has arrived in store, bringing traditional European natural and organic breads including dark rye, pumpernickle

30/10/2025

💥Good news! Sharing from our friends at No More Glyphosate NZ:

✅ Victory for Public Health & Transparency

Good news — glyphosate residue limits on wheat, barley, and oats will remain at 0.1mg/kg. Even more importantly, pre-harvest spraying with glyphosate on these grains is no longer permitted in New Zealand.

This decision comes after 3,100+ public submissions and strong evidence that growers and millers have already been moving away from pre-harvest glyphosate use. Now it’s official: the status quo is protected, and our food system takes a step toward greater safety.

Dry peas will see their limit set at 6mg/kg, aligning with international markets — but the real breakthrough here is on our daily staples.
🙌 This shows the power of public pressure and collective voices.
🌾 Our message was clear: glyphosate has no place on food crops right before harvest.
📢 Let’s keep building momentum — this is just one win in the wider fight.
👉 What do you think this decision means for New Zealand’s food future?

24/10/2025

We are closed for Labor Day. Please remember bread, milk and produce moves to Wednesday delivery 🐝

16/10/2025

10/10/2025

08/09/2025

Fresh bread & produce has arrived. We welcome Mamaku Mist from Katikati. Supplying us with certified organic greens. New in this week capsicums, celery sticks, spinach

26/08/2025

The seedlings are back in store 🌱

The first of the spring seedlings are now available at Whakatāne Organics!

There will be a range of in season vegetable, flower, and herb seedlings topped up each Monday afternoon, along with 15L bags of seed raising mix (and compost upon request).

A big shout out to Lorraine for supporting me, the seedlings, and the community!

26/08/2025

Fresh Produce has arrived sorry still no broccoli but we do have cauliflowers