Biosota Organics Named Emerging Certified Organic Business of the Year at 2026 Australian Organic Industry Awards

Gold Coast family beekeeping business also receives Highly Commended recognition for Certified Organic Manuka Honey MGO 1200+

GOLD COAST, QLD — 8 September 2026 — Australian family-owned Manuka honey producer Biosota Organics has been named Emerging Certified Organic Business of the Year at the 2026 Australian Organic Industry Awards, recognising the company’s contribution to the Australian organic industry and its commitment to producing certified organic Manuka honey.

Biosota’s Certified Organic Manuka Honey MGO 1200+ was also Highly Commended in the Certified Organic Food Product of the Year category, giving the Gold Coast-based business two major recognitions at this year’s awards.

Presented by Australian Organic Limited, the Australian Organic Industry Awards celebrate businesses, products and individuals demonstrating excellence, innovation and integrity across Australia’s organic sector.

For Biosota Organics, the recognition reflects a decade-long commitment to maintaining organic certification across its beekeeping and production operations.

“Certified organic isn’t a claim you make. It’s something you have to prove, season after season,” said Andrey Zubko, Co-Founder of Biosota Organics.“Behind every jar is a lot that customers never see - dedicated hive equipment kept separate from conventional gear, chemical-free beekeeping, carefully selected Australian Manuka bee sites and traceability throughout the supply chain. We’ve been holding that line for ten years.”

Three generations of beekeeping

Biosota Organics was founded by Andrey and Oxana Zubko and continues a family beekeeping tradition spanning three generations.

For Andrey, the award represents more than recognition for a growing business. It is also a continuation of a family tradition built around beekeeping and honey production.

“My grandfather kept bees his whole life,” said Zubko. “I think he would understand better than most that good honey starts long before it reaches the jar.”

The company has built its business around Australian Manuka honey, with a focus on high-potency products, organic certification, traceability and international quality standards.

Raising the standard for organic Australian Manuka

Biosota is currently the only organic-certified brand among Australian Manuka honey producers certified through the Australian Manuka Honey Association (AMHA).

The company is also undertaking a transition towards direct organic certification of its company-owned hive sites within Queensland’s Great Sandy National Park.

Those sites are being assessed against the requirements of organic certification, including a verified five-kilometre foraging radius free from prohibited synthetic inputs for three years.

While organic certification adds significant operational requirements to commercial beekeeping, Biosota believes the additional scrutiny is essential to giving consumers confidence in the integrity and provenance of certified organic Manuka honey.

MGO 1200+: high potency meets organic certification

Biosota’s Certified Organic Manuka Honey MGO 1200+ was Highly Commended in the Certified Organic Food Product of the Year category, building on its recognition as a finalist in the same category in 2025.

The product combines an ultra-high MGO rating with certified organic production - a combination that remains uncommon in the Manuka honey market.

Every batch is independently laboratory tested for MGO content, Non-Peroxide Activity and authenticity markers, with testing and traceability supporting the product from source through to finished jar.

Its Certified Organic MGO 1200+ has also attracted recognition beyond the Australian organic industry, including a Gold Award for Best Immune Booster and the Editor’s Choice Award at the 2026 Clean + Conscious Awards, a Gold Award in the Wellbeing category at the 2026 TREX Awards, and entry into the Specialty Food Association’s prestigious SOFI Awards.

Biosota’s premium Manuka honey range is now available through travel-retail partners including Heinemann in Sydney, Lotte Duty Free in Brisbane and Melbourne, The Shilla Duty Free in Incheon, South Korea, and IPP Travel Retail in Vietnam.

Recognition for the whole Biosota team

Biosota Organics credited its team, beekeepers, customers and partners for helping build the business and expand the reach of Australian Manuka honey internationally.

The company also acknowledged Australian Organic Limited and the 2026 judging panel for recognising its contribution to the organic industry.

“The award is wonderful,” said Zubko. “But the standard behind it matters even more.”

For a family business built on three generations of beekeeping, the recognition marks another milestone in Biosota Organics’ journey to take world-class Australian Manuka honey to the world stage - demonstrating that exceptional potency, purity, traceability and certified organic production can come together in a truly premium Australian product.

About Biosota Organics

Biosota Organics is a family-owned, ACO-certified organic Australian Manuka honey company based on the Gold Coast, Queensland.

Founded by Andrey and Oxana Zubko, Biosota represents the third generation of their family’s beekeeping tradition. The company produces premium Australian Manuka honey for customers in Australia and international markets, including its flagship MGO 2200+, MGO 1717+ and Certified Organic MGO 1200+ ranges.

Biosota Organics holds ACO organic certification (No. 12528) and is a member of the Australian Manuka Honey Association (AMHA).