This week is Organic Week with the public invited to take part in a nationwide series of online events focused on healthy food, healthy soil and healthy people.

Led by the Soil & Health Association of New Zealand, this year’s programme brings together farmers, health experts and food advocates for a week of webinars, interviews and community discussion.

Among them is Whakatāne’s Paula Sharp, a nutritional therapist who will discuss gut health and how to support the microbiome through food and lifestyle.

The online series is designed to make organic knowledge accessible for everyone, from seasoned organic growers to those just starting to explore organic living.

Soil scientist Charles Hyland, chair of Soil & Health, said a key part of this year’s Organic Week was helping people understand the connection between soil, food and wellbeing.

“Healthy soil supports everything – from the food we eat to the resilience of our environment. Organic Week gives people the chance to hear directly from those working with nature and within our food systems to learn practical ways to apply that knowledge,” he said.

The programme began on Saturday with an online Organic Café offering an informal space for people to connect, share ideas.

On Monday, there was a webinar focusing on dung beetles, with experienced pastoral farmers including Stephen Newman, founder of Kaipara Regenerative Farming Group and Paul Candy from Future Ready Farms sharing how these insects improve soil fertility, manage animal waste and reduce nutrient run-off.

Today at 7.30pm, a session titled “What’s behind the label?” will help consumers better understand food labels, ingredients and certification. The speakers are Alison White from the Safe Food Campaign and Sarah Reddington from Low Toxin Rabbit, with facilitation by Organic NZ editor Philippa Jamieson.

Ms Sharp’s session is scheduled for tomorrow at 7pm, and the final session on Friday at 7pm features Hawke’s Bay artist and advocate Kate White, offering a fresh perspective on rooks and their role in farming systems, challenging the view of the birds as pests and exploring their place in a functioning ecosystem.

The Soil & Health Association of New Zealand, established in 1941, is one of the world’s oldest organic organisations and continues to advocate for systems that support long-term environmental and human health.

“Organic Week is about connection – between people, ideas and the natural systems that sustain us. We welcome anyone who wants to be part of that conversation,” said Philippa Jamieson, editor of Organic NZ.

All interviews will be screened online and later made available via the Soil & Health Association’s YouTube channel, with webinar recordings released in late May.