Frequently Asked Questions about "Going Organic"
Which Certification Body should I use?
There are two main considerations when choosing a certifier: (a) type and level of service, and (b) organizational structure.
(a)
Decide what market you want to reach and find a certifier
(certification body or "CB") that is accredited to
sell organic products in that market. For example, if your market is in
Canada, you will need a certifier who will review your farm to the Canadian Organic Standard.
Recently, agreements have been reached with both the US
and EU declaring that their standards are equivalent to the Canadian
Standard. This is good news because it means that no additional
certifications will be required for Canadian organic producers wishing
to sell to these countries. Other countries, such as Japan and South
Korea, have their own organic standards and certification requirements.
A
certification body must be accredited or recognized to certify organic
products
for those markets.
Ask around and get a sense what
level of service a certifier provides. How quick are they to answer
questions? Ask the same question to different certifers and compare the
answers. They may interpret the same organic standard differently. How
much paper work do they ask you to complete?
It is
also in your best interest that a certifier hires professional
inspectors trained by the International Organic Inspectors Association
(IOIA), which helps provide third-party integrity to the system. All
certifiers in Canada must follow the the same Canadian standard as
published by the Canadian General Standards Board.
(b)
Certifiers may be for profit, non-profit, farmer owned co-ops or
corporations. They may work regionally, nationally and/or
internationally. Decide which one best serves your interests. Some
certifiers request that producers play an active role in running the
organization.
Above all, does the certifier uphold
the credibility of the word organic? After all, the health and growth
of the organic market is dependent on the integrity of the
certification process.
Note: The Organic Trade
Association in Canada has published a list of approved certifers under
the new Canada Organic Regime. It can be found at: www.ota.com/otacanada/abcb.html
View the certification bodies active in Atlantic Canada on the ACORN website.
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