A group of Damara Lamb farmers based in Queensland, Australia, has been successful in gaining the world’s first independent certification of their lamb as genuinely sustainable and genuinely natural.  The lamb is pesticide-free, and contains no artificial substances.  Premium quality Damara Lamb has been labelled as “Green Tick® Natural”, having met the strict Green Tick® standards for sustainability and “naturalness”.

This is the first time in the world that conventionally produced farm products have been independently and scientifically certified as genuinely sustainable and genuinely natural. 

The certification is the result of a trial of the “Green Tick® Natural” eco-label on the Queensland farms, sponsored by the Australian Government through the Department of Primary Industries in Toowoomba, Queensland.  Dr Lester Pahl and his team at Toowoomba have been working on establishing market-orientated environmental certification for rangeland farmers, and the trial is a test of Green Tick® as a suitable independent eco-label for farmers.

Lamb meat was tested for artificial content, and test results confirmed that no pesticides were present.  A registered agricultural auditor, Matt Ahern of Symbio Alliance, was employed to independently review the farms’ production practices and test results against the Green Tick® Natural standards.  The auditor’s recommendation was that certification be granted.

“While there are organic certification systems for meat, these only apply to about 3% of the market,” said Mrs Susan Harris, Executive Director of Green Tick® Certification Limited, “Conventional farmers still supply 97% of the market, and up until now there has been no way that they could get their products certified as genuinely sustainable or genuinely natural.  We are very grateful to the Australian Government, Dr Lester Pahl and his team from DPI, Toowoomba, and our Queensland farmers for their keen participation in this world-leading trial, and we look forward to the market response to Green Tick® Natural-certified Damara Lamb”.

Mrs Harris noted that Damara Lamb is already known as a very high quality lamb.  “The independent certification achieved by these forward-thinking farmers proves to consumers that genuinely sustainable and genuinely natural lamb is available in Australia. “Green Tick® Sustainable” or “Green Tick® Natural” Certified labelling on conventionally produced farm products could also give Australian farm exports a huge advantage when selling into valuable and eco-conscious world markets.”

Certified Damara Lamb will be available for taste testing at the “Taste of Queensland” pavilion at the Royal Queensland Show Day (the EKKA) in Brisbane during the afternoon of Tuesday 16 August 2005.  The lamb goes on sale in three specialist butcher shops in Brisbane on Thursday 18 August 2005.  They are:

Meat Your Lifestyle, Shop 18, 69 Boundary Street, West End, (in the Coles Shopping Centre, ex Tristrams Factory) Brisbane;

ph: (in Australia) 07-3844-2428.

Contact: Thinh Do.

The Butcher’s Block, James Street Markets, Teneriffe, Brisbane; ph: (in Australia) 07-3854-0440.

Contact: Matt Ahern or Craig.

Superior Meats, 959 Logan Road, Holland Park, Brisbane;

ph: (in Australia) 07-3397-2743.

Contact: Barry O’Connor.

Inquiries on certified Damara Lamb supplies may be made to: Kent Morris, Damara Lamb, Mitchell, Western Queensland, Australia, mobile phone: (in Australia) 042-999-8114,

e-mail: watermarkdamara@bigpond.au

Damara Lamb is now listed on the Green Tick® Register under Food.
Customer responses to certified Damara Lamb will be reported as the information comes to hand.

15 August 2005

Greentick® Latest News
Greentick®...Bernard Matthews Confusion
Greentick® ...Beginnings...
Greentick® at Harvard
Australian Farmers Trial Greentick®
Ecostore Gets World First...
Science Papers EU
Australian Lamb Gains World's First ...
Bumpersales Result in More Ecostore Products ...
Greentick® releases Climate Friendly label...
Sales jump with Greentick®
Ecolabel meets EU requirements®