Organic Certification

Organic certification is a mandatory process undergone by organic farm products and food, as well as their producers. Generally, any industry involved directly in food production is required to undergo the certification process. As such, restaurants, retailers, food processors, farmers and seed suppliers are required to obtain certification of their products. Certification standards vary from country to country. They usually involve a set of production rules for growing, processing, storing, packing and shipping organic products. These policies include: the avoidance of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and synthetic chemicals (pesticides, fertilizer, food additives and antibiotics); the use of farmland, which has been free from chemicals for three of more years; keeping a detailed record of production and sales; periodic on-site inspections; and a strict separation between organic products and non-certified products.

Purposes of Certification

Organic certification has various purposes and it works for the advantage of both the producers and consumers of the products. For producers, certification identifies their organic products to the items approved by the government, thus boosting the position of producers in the market. For consumers, the label "organic" serves as an assurance of food quality and safety.

Organic certification is aimed at facilitating and regulating the sale of products. Each certification body has its own service mark. It must be noted that a certifier can help in promoting organic products under its logo, thus boosting the position of producers in the market.

The Certification Process

Besides normal farming operations, farmers are required to engage in several activities in order to obtain a certification of their farms.

1. producers need to study the organic standards that determine which practices are allowed in all aspects of farming like storage, transport and sale.

2. farmers must make sure that their farming methods and facilities adhere to standards such as modifying facilities and changing suppliers.

3. Producers are required to make and keep a detailed record of their farms' history and present set-up. This record also includes the results of water and soil testing.

4. Farmers need to submit a production plan on a yearly basis. This document must contain detailed information of all aspects of farming and production such as seed sources and sale, pest control and fertilization activities, field and crop locations, storage locations and harvest techniques.

5. Producers must keep a daily record of farming and marketing activities. This document must be made available during inspection.

6. Farmers need to open their farms for annual inspections and must pay a fee for both the inspection and the certification.

Levels of Organic Products

As previously stated, organic certification and labeling works for the advantage of both the producers and consumers. In the United States, the federal organic legislation presents three levels of organics. First, products entirely made through certified organic methods and with the use of organic ingredients can be marked as "100% organic." Second, products made of 95% organic ingredients can be labeled as "organic." Third, products made of 70% organic ingredients can be stamped with the label "made with organic ingredients."

Certification Bodies around the World

In the European Union, the implementation of the 1992 EU-Eco-regulation made organic certification mandatory among the members. The certification process in the European bloc is carried out on the national level. Some of the certification bodies in the EU are: Organic Farmers and Growers (UK), Soil Association (UK), and KRAV (Sweden).

In Japan, the JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standard) was implemented in April 2001. The JAS was revised in November 2005, thus requiring all JAS certification agencies to be reaccredited by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture.

In the United States, the National Organic Program (NOP) was implemented in October 2002. The certification process is handled by several state, private, and non-profit agencies approved by the Department of Agriculture. California Certified Organic Farmers, which was established in 1973, is one of the first agencies to carry out certification in the US.

In India, INDOCERT serves as one of the country's major certification bodies. The INDOCERT operates in compliance with India's National Standards for Organic Production, which policies are equal to those of the European Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 and the USDA NOP.

In Australia, the AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) serves as the controlling certification body considering that there are no domestic standards governing organic products in the country.

In China, the CGFDC (China Green Food Development Center) uses two labels: A and AA. The former allows the use of some synthetic chemicals in agricultural production, while the latter is stricter.

In Canada, organic certification is handled by private sector organizations.