Organic certification -standards and procedures
(as per OHGA STANDARDS)

Converting a farm as organic:

Converting a farm to organic requires the development of a viable and sustainable farm-ecosystem over a period of time.The certification process aims to convert the growing area to comply with requirement sof this standard within a period of 3 years.

Procedures:

1.Initially , a farm is inspected and a report is lodged with the certification review committee(CRC).If CRC recommends the farm enter the certification system , it will be placed "Under Supervision" for the first 12
months.During this time ,produce or products cannot be sold as 'Cerified Organic" or as 'IN CONVERSION TO Organic".

2.After 12 months , the farm may be upgraded to "In Conversion" if the second inspection is satisfactory.The farm must then complete two years "In Conversion" before it is considered for certifying as "Organic"(otherwise known as "A GRADE Organic")

3.The"In conversion"period may be rteduced - but only where it can be demonstrated a farm had , during the years immediately preceeding conversion , used techniques closely allied to those of organic agriculture and which meet all testing and inspection requirements .Whatever the length of the conversion period , product may not be sold as "In conversion to Organic" until a farm has been under an inspection system for 12 months.

4.In the case of other farm activities not being certified , those activiies must be clearly seperated and the products must be of a different nature from the certified produces or products. There can not be organic and non -organic growing (parallel production)of the same species on the same property-or on any other property under the same grower's management or control.

5.When a defined area is certified , the remainder of the farm must be converted to organic within 10 years.

Organisations inspecting and certifying :

1. TNAU-Coimbatore. Dean-Dr.Vadivelu
2. APOF-Association for promotion of organic farming,Bangalore-560046.
3. INDOCERT- (refer also-'useful links'page
4. ECOCERT-Chennai.

FOA Overview

GUIDELINES FOR THE PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, LABELLING AND MARKETING OF ORGANICALLY PRODUCED FOODS
(GL 32 – 1999, Rev. 1 – 2001)

CONTENTS

Section

Foreword

1. Scope

2. Descriptions and definitions

3. Labelling and claims

4. Rules of production and preparation

5. Requirements for inclusion of substances in Annex 2

6. Inspection and certification systems

7. Imports

8. Ongoing Review of the Guidelines.

Annex 1: Principles of organic production

Plants and plant products

Processing,packaging, handling, storage and transport

Annex 2: Permitted substances for the production of organic foods
Annex 3: Minimum inspection requirements and precautionary measures under the inspection system :

Instead of "Third Party Certification' by a private agency .......

"An alternate to Third Party Certification" ( Download PDF File )

Also refer to the following site
http://www.mofpi.nic.in/projectprofiles/TUVSA/food_reg.pdf


http://www.mofpi.nic.in/projectprofiles/TUVSA/food_reg.pdf

Also refer to the following site
http://www.apeda.com/organic/notician2004.html

Also refer to the following site
http://www.apeda.com/organic/notician2004.html