Indigenous people in Australia and the Pacific Islands are being trained as organic inspectors in a bid to strengthen the industry in remote communities.
The National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia (NASAA)has launched free training sessions to allow indigenous people to oversee the organic certification process in their homelands.
The Adelaide-based not-for-profit previously sent its own inspectors to remote communities, inflating the costs of certification for producers.
NASAA general manager Ben Copeman says the training will give indigenous people greater autonomy in developing organic businesses.
"One of the main drivers is to give them some control over the direction their own industry goes in," Mr Copeman told AAP.
"There's also creating employment up there, and hopefully it'll also encourage more corporations in those lands to become certified.
"All the benefits are going to go back into the various lands and islands that they come from."
Organic inspectors are tasked with examining the production, processing and handling practices of businesses seeking organic certification.
There are currently no official organic inspection courses available through TAFE or other government training providers.
Mr Copeman said there had been strong growth in demand for organic certification, particularly from rural producers keen to sell their goods to new markets.
"There is certainly enough movement afoot in organic inquiries that it will impact on employment and opportunities," he said.
"There's a very high degree of awareness of organic certification within indigenous communities."
Training participants so far include people representing the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands and Arnhem Lands, Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
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