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Here are most of the certification
agencies and organizations related to organics, both for the U.S. and in Latin America. No
attempt has been made to put them in a particular order or status in this listing.
Organic Crop
Improvement Association (OCIA)
"The Organic Crop Improvement Association is an international program of
certification to strict organic standards. With thousands of certified members in
seventeen countries, OCIA is a respected voice in the international organic community.
OCIA is an accredited member of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements (IFOAM), is accredited to ISO-65 by the United States Department of
Agriculture."
Organic Trade Association (OTA)
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the business association
representing the organic agriculture industry in North America. Its 1,000 members include
growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers,
exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA's industry advisory boards, which
include Organic Certifiers Council, Organic Fiber Council, and Organic Suppliers Advisory
Council, focus attention on and recommend service for their particular sectors of the
organic industry. Founded in 1985, OTA encourages global sustainability through promoting
and protecting the growth of diverse organic trade.
Certification is the key to the US National Organic Program. It assures that organic
growers and handlers are, in fact, adhering to the law. After the final rule implementing
the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) goes into effect, it will be a federal offense to
label any product as "organic" unless it has been certified. All uses of the
labeling term "organic" will be regulated.
The certification process focuses on the methods and materials used in
production. There are three main requirements:
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the methods and materials used in production
must meet organic standards |
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there must be clear and ongoing documentation
of these methods and materials |
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there must be a paper trail tracing a product
back to its production site, in order to verify the methods and materials used in its
production. |
Who must be certified?
With two exceptions, everyone selling products labeled as
"organic" must be certified. This includes producers of organic livestock, food,
and fiber crops, and "handlers" of organic products. A "handler" is
any operation that "receives, processes, packages, or stores agricultural
products." Some examples: a processing company that buys organic tomatoes and makes
canned spaghetti sauce; any distributor who "substantially transforms, repacks or
relabels organic agricultural products." This last distinction is meant to exclude
brokering, warehousing or trucking operations that merely store or move finished processed
products from place to place without altering them in any way.
The exceptions:
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Growers who gross less than $5,000 annually
are exempt from certification. NOSB recommends that these growers sign a declaration
(available from certifying agencies) stating that they understand and are in compliance
with OFPA, and that they have written an organic farm plan which can be made available to
the public upon request. NOSB further recommends that growers falling under this
"Small Farm Exemption" may not use the term "certified organic" when
marketing their crops, and may market through direct sales only (farm stands,
farmers’ markets, or direct sales to a retailer). |
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At present, retailers aren’t required to
be certified. NOSB, however, recommends certification for retailers that engage in
activities that qualify them as handlers (i.e., repacking bulk products such as dry beans
or grain). |
ISO
Guide 65
The program uses the International Organization for Standardization's ISO
9000 series standards for documented quality management systems as a format for evaluating
documentation to ensure consistent auditing practices and promote international
recognition of audit results.
California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF)
Products labeled "certified organic" have been
grown and processed according to strict standards. CCOF
annually inspects farms and facilities to ensure that no harmful chemicals have been used
for at least three years, that foods are processed using sustainable methods, and that
growers and processors keep detailed records of their practices.
CCOF was one of the first organizations to certify farms in
North America, continually leading the way by promoting sustainable agriculture since
1973. CCOF's industry-setting standards helped pave the way for organic farming
legislation like the California Organic Foods Act of 1990.
National Organic Program
SUMMARY: This final rule establishes the National Organic Program
(NOP or program) under the direction of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), an arm
of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This national program will
facilitate domestic and international marketing of fresh and processed food that is
organically produced and assure consumers that such products meet consistent, uniform
standards. This program establishes national standards for the production and handling of
organically produced products, including a National List of substances approved for and
prohibited from use in organic production and handling. This final rule establishes a
national-level accreditation program to be administered by AMS for State officials and
private persons who want to be accredited as certifying agents. Under the program,
certifying agents will certify production and handling operations in compliance with the
requirements of this regulation and initiate compliance actions to enforce program
requirements. The final rule includes requirements for labeling products as organic and
containing organic ingredients. This final rule also provides for importation of organic
agricultural products from foreign programs determined to have equivalent organic program
requirements. This program is authorized under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990,
as amended.
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)
The IFOAM Accreditation Programme is managed by the International Organic
Accreditation Service Inc. (IOAS) under a licensing agreement with IFOAM.
IOAS is a non-profit organization registered in the USA. IOAS operates independently from
other activities of IFOAM.
The world's major certification bodies, working in many countries
worldwide, have elected to become accredited with - or are currently being evaluated
by the IOAS.
IFOAM Norms (Basic
Standards and Accreditation Criteria) are used as reference documents in the
accreditation process. They are specifically designed to guide the implementation of
organic certification worldwide.
International Organic Accreditation Service Inc. (IOAS)
The International Organic Accreditation Service (IOAS)
provides accreditation services to certification bodies active in the certification of
organic production and processing.
Among other activities, the IOAS operates the Accreditation Programme of
the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).
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