Biological Farmers of Australia standards committee chairman Andrew Monk said while consumers were increasingly turning to organics, there was not unlimited demand.

"There is a shift going on, the organic industry is coming of age," he said.

"More than 40 per cent of consumers now buy organic produce occasionally to regularly.

"Farmers markets are becoming increasingly popular and the major retailers have seen an increase in demand in the last four years."

But Dr Monk said organics was still a "liquorice allsorts" industry, with a very varied producer make-up.

"It's probably a 10-year program to convert soils biologically, so it's a significant undertaking," he said.

"Producers can't just think they can make money tomorrow."

At the moment, only 1.5pc of Australian farmers are certified organic.