Dear valued clients and members,

NASAA Certified Organic Pty Ltd (NCO) and its parent company the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA) would like to thank you for your continued patience whilst we awaited the outcome following NCO’s accreditation suspension period that was announced in October 2023. As you’re aware, NCO’s accreditor IOAS had placed a suspension on the accreditation and supervision under IFOAM, ISO 17065, and EU Equivalence.

We would like to inform you that IOAS has made the decision to provide NCO with an extension period of 30 days, until 4 March 2024, to address the last unresolved  elements of the non-conformities (NCs).

In addition, Freshcare in accordance with its services agreement, has also extended its suspension of NCO’s approval to audit against all Freshcare Programs.

What does this mean?

The operational position remains the same and NCO is still under suspension, with the same restrictions as notified previously. We assure you that the NCO Management continues to prioritise the work in resolving the NCs to IOAS’s satisfaction by the due date.

We are aware that should NCO fail to address them to IOAS’s satisfaction, it will result in definitive accreditation withdrawal.

Whilst we acknowledge this news keeps us in the same position as before, NASAA and NCO believe this as a positive step, demonstrating IOAS’s confidence in NCO’s abilities to provide the current services as a certification body.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Anderson
NASAA Board Chair

Phil Sutherland
NCO Board Chair