What is.......?

NIGEL:
Each country has it's own way of defining key words for our foods, etc.
Most labels are unregulated...for e.g. many products here in the USA are labelled "natural" or are voluntarily-regulated (whatever that means)... for e.g. "free-range."

Organic in the USA:
From USDA - "Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled ‘organic,’ a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards.

Organic farming entails:

-Use of cover crops, green manures, animal manures and crop rotations to fertilize the soil, maximize biological activity and maintain long-term soil health.
-Use of biological control, crop rotations and other techniques to manage weeds, insects and diseases.
-An emphasis on biodiversity of the agricultural system and the surrounding environment.
-Using rotational grazing and mixed forage pastures for livestock operations and alternative health care for animal wellbeing.
-Reduction of external and off-farm inputs and elimination of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and other materials, such as hormones and antibiotics.
-A focus on renewable resources, soil and water conservation, and management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological balance. More information can be found at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/ofp/ofp.shtml

So we are doing pretty well!

Cage-free: This simply means that the hens are not kept in cages, though there are no regulations to govern care beyond that.

Free-range: Free-range chickens are (according to voluntary regulations) supposed to have "access to the outdoors" -- however, by many reports, the care of many of these hens is structured so that they are very unlikely to go outside. The doors are not opened until the hens are of an age where they are likely to keep doing what they are used to doing, and when the (usually small) doors are opened, they usually don't go outside.

A brief overview of standards in Australia... similar in many ways
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/what-is-organic-and-exactly-whats-the-range-of-free-range-20110729-1i3kk.html