This was the presentation on “Organic Standards” at National workshop on “Organic Farming: A Potential Solution for Farmers engaged in cotton cultivation”, 22-23 May 2003, Warangal, AP, Oxfam GB India

1. Certification and Marketing of
Organic Products
D. Narasimha Reddy
Member, IFOAM-Asia Board

2. Types of Standards
• Standards are rules of the production for
organic agriculture.
•
D. Narasimha Reddy IFOAM-Asia
•
• International Standards
• Regional Standards
• National Standards
• Certification Standards

3. Organic Certification
• Certification is vital to the commercial
success of organic producers and processors.
• It ensures credibility and enables greater
D. Narasimha Reddy
• It ensures credibility and enables greater
access to markets for organic products.
• Many markets will only buy organic
produce that is ‘certified organic’.

4. What is certification?
Certification means having the farm and the
farmers’ methods inspected by an
accredited organic certifying group to
D. Narasimha Reddy
accredited organic certifying group to
ensure that they comply with a Standard.
Accredited certifying bodies are licensed by a
statutory authority.

5. What should I consider before I
apply for certification?
Knowledge
Tools and implements
Labour and time
D. Narasimha Reddy
Labour and time
Inputs
Finances
Farm location
Markets

6. What does certification entail?
Documentation of inputs and their sources
Documentation of the equipment used
Documentation of organic crop planning
D. Narasimha Reddy
Documentation of organic crop planning
Documentation of contamination sources
Documentation of post-harvest contamination
protection
Documentation of market prices

7. What does the process entail?
Apply for certification
Buffer period
Inspections and audits
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Inspections and audits
Record keeping
Costs

8. Contents in Standards
Conversion to Organic Agriculture
Crop Production Systems
Livestock Management and Products
Storage of Organic Agriculture Produce
D. Narasimha Reddy
Storage of Organic Agriculture Produce
Transportation and Processing of Organic Products
Producers’ Responsibilities, Consumer Rights and
Fair Trade
Management of Resources and Sustaining
Ecosystem

9. Appendix
Appendix 1 Products for Use in Fertilization and
Soil Conditioning
Appendix 2 Products for Plant Pest and Disease
Control
Appendix 3 Products for Livestock Management
D. Narasimha Reddy
Appendix 3 Products for Livestock Management
Appendix 4 Inputs for Organic Food Processing
Appendix 5 Indigenous Agricultural practices
Appendix 6 Procedure to Evaluate Additional Inputs
to Organic Agriculture
Appendix 7 Organic Inputs - Composting

10. Indian Certification Programme
In June 2001, under the NPOP, a set of 4 volumes,
concerning: Accreditation regulations,
Accreditation criteria, Accreditation procedure
and Application forms were published.
On 12 June 2001, by a Public notice No.19 (RE-
D. Narasimha Reddy
On 12 June 2001, by a Public notice No.19 (RE-
2001/1997-2002 government regulation of export
of organic produce. “An agricultural product will
be allowed to be exported as organic product
only if it is produced, processed or packed under a
valid Organic Certificate issued by a certifying
agency duly accredited by one of the four
Accreditation Agencies.”

11. Appointed Accreditation
Agencies in India
• Agricultural & Processed Food Products
Export Development Authority (APEDA)
D. Narasimha Reddy
Export Development Authority (APEDA)
• Coffee Board
• Tea Board
• Spices Board

12. Foreign certifying agencies in
India
IMO
SKAL
D. Narasimha Reddy
SKAL
ECOCERT
NATURLAND
SOIL ASSOCIATION

13. Issues in Certification and Standards
for average Indian Organic farmer
Multiplicity of standards and certification
Codex Alimentarius (FAO and WHO)
IFOAM Basic Standards
European Union
D. Narasimha Reddy
European Union
National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), India
Indian Organic Standards (voluntary)
Technical trade barriers
Expensive certification costs
Input quality

14. What it means?
Producers
Trading systems
Certification Programmes
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Certification Programmes
Export systems
Policies and Institutions
Consumers

15. What GOAP can do?
Information ‘clearing’ centres/systems
Training and extension centres
Model organic farms
D. Narasimha Reddy
Model organic farms
Local Organic Guarantee system
Environmental Awareness Programmes
Publications in Telugu
Policy development