8 organic farming.ppt

organic farming

1. ORGANIC FARMING

2. ORGANIC FARMING
•Organicfarmingisasystemwhichavoidsor
largelyexcludestheuseofsyntheticinputs
(suchasfertilizers,pesticides,hormones,feed
additivesetc)andtothemaximumextent
feasiblerelyuponcroprotations,crop
residues,animalmanures,off-farmorganic
waste,mineralgraderockadditivesand
biologicalsystemofnutrientmobilizationand
plantprotection.

3. •NationalCentreofOrganicFarmingatGhaziabadanditssixRegional
CentresatBangalore,Bhubaneshwar,Panchkula,Imphal,Jabalpur
andNagpur.
•Australiaranksfirstinarea.
•IFOAMislocatedinBonn,Germony.
•AlbertHowardisreferredasfatherofModernOrganicfarming
•Theterm‘organic’wasfirstusedinrelationtofarmingby
Northbourne(1940)inhisbookLooktotheLand:“thefarmitself
shouldhaveabiologicalcompleteness;itmustbealivingentity,it
mustbeaunitwhichhaswithinitselfabalancedorganiclife’.

5. •Indiaisbestowedwithlotofpotentialtoproduceallvarietiesoforganic
productsduetoitsvariousagroclimaticregions.
•Inseveralpartsofthecountry,theinheritedtraditionoforganicfarmingis
anaddedadvantage.
•Thisholdspromisefortheorganicproducerstotapthemarketwhichis
growingsteadilyinthedomesticandexportmarket.
•Aspertheavailablestatistics,India’srankintermsofWorld’sOrganic
Agriculturallandwas9
th
andintermsoftotalnumberofproducerswas1
st
as
per2018data(Source:FIBL&IFOAMYearBook2018).

6. AREA
•Ason31
st
March2018,totalareaunderorganiccertification
process(registeredunderNationalProgrammeforOrganic
Production)is3.56millionHectare(2017-18).
•Thisincludes1.78millionha(50%)cultivableareaandanother
1.78millionHectare(50%)forwildharvestcollection.
•Amongallthestates,MadhyaPradeshhascoveredlargestarea
underorganiccertificationfollowedbyRajasthan,Maharashtra
andUttarPradesh.
•During2016,Sikkimhasachievedaremarkabledistinctionof
convertingitsentirecultivableland(morethan76000ha)under
organiccertification.

7. PRODUCTION
•Indiaproducedaround1.70millionMT(2017-18)ofcertified
organicproductswhichincludesallvarietiesoffoodproducts
namelyOilSeeds,Sugarcane,Cereals&Millets,Cotton,Pulses,
MedicinalPlants,Tea,Fruits,Spices,DryFruits,Vegetables,Coffee
etc.
•Theproductionisnotlimitedtotheediblesectorbutalsoproduces
organiccottonfiber,functionalfoodproductsetc.
•AmongdifferentstatesMadhyaPradeshisthelargestproducer
followedbyMaharashtra,Karnataka,UttarPradeshandRajasthan.
•IntermsofcommoditiesOilseedsarethesinglelargestcategory
followedbySugarcrops,CerealsandMillets,Fibercrops,Pulses,
Medicinal,HerbalandAromaticplantsandSpicesandCondiments.

8. EXPORTS
•Thetotalvolumeofexportduring2017-18was4.58lakhMT.
•TheorganicfoodexportrealizationwasaroundINR3453.48crore
(515.44millionUSD).
•OrganicproductsareexportedtoUSA,EuropeanUnion,Canada,
Switzerland,Australia,Israel,SouthKorea,Vietnam,NewZealand,
Japanetc.
•IntermsofexportvaluerealizationOilseeds(47.6%)leadamong
theproductsfollowedbyCerealsandmillets(10.4%),Plantation
cropproductssuchasTeaandCoffee(8.96%),Dryfruits(8.88%),
Spicesandcondiments(7.76%)andothers.

9. Organic Product Portfolio in India…

10. EXPORT POTENTIAL OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS
•50%oftheorganicfoodproductioninIndiaistargetedtowards
exports,therearemanywholooktowardsorganicfoodfordomestic
consumption.
•Themostimportantreasonforbuyingorganicfoodistheconcernforthe
healthofchildren,withover66percentparentspreferringorganicfoodto
non-organicfood.
•Thoughorganicfoodispricedover25percentmorethan
conventionalfoodinIndia,manyparentsarewillingtopaythishigher
premiumduetotheperceivedhealthbenefitsoforganicfood.
•TheincreaseinorganicfoodconsumptioninIndiaisevidentfromthefact
thatmanyorganicfoodstoresarespurringupinIndia.
•Todayeverysupermarkethasanorganicfoodstoreandeverylargecityin
Indiahasnumerousorganicfoodstoresandrestaurants.

11. •ThisisahugechangeconsideringthatthefirstorganicfoodstoreinMumbai
wasstartedin1997.
•OrganicfoodexportsfromIndiaareincreasingwithmorefarmersshiftingto
organicfarming.
•Withthedomesticconsumptionbeinglow,theprimemarketforIndian
organicfoodindustryliesintheUSandEurope.
•Indiahasnowbecomealeadingsupplieroforganicherbs,organicspices,
organicbasmatirice,etc.
•Theincreasingdemandfororganicfoodproductsinthedevelopedcountries
andtheextensivesupportbytheIndiangovernmentcoupledwithitsfocus
onagri-exportsarethedriversfortheIndianorganicfoodindustry.
•Thedomesticmarketisnotsufficienttoconsumetheentireorganicfood
producedinthecountry.
•Asaresult,exportsoforganicfoodistheprimeaimoforganicfarmersas
wellasthegovernment.

12. Productsavailablefortheexportmarketarerice,wheat,tea,spices,
coffee,pulses,fruits&vegetables,cashewnuts,cotton,oilseedsand
medicinalherbs.
Thechannelsadoptedfortheexportoforganicproducts,exceptfortea,
aremainlythroughexportcompanies.
Organicteaisproducedbymajorwellorganizedteaestateswhichare
exportingteadirectly.
Inthecaseofotherorganicproducts,predominantlysmallfarmersare
involvedinproducingorganicproducts.Hence,theseproductsare
exportedthroughexporters.
Organicproductsaremainlyexportedtothefollowingcountries(inorder
ofpriority):
•Europe:Netherlands,UnitedKingdom,Germany,Belgium,Sweden,
Switzerland,
•France,Italy,Spain;
•Americas:USA,Canada;
•MiddleEast:SaudiArabia,UAE;
•Asia:Japan,Singapore;
•Australia;
•Africa:SouthAfrica.

16. Regulatory mechanism for organic products
in India
•TheNationalProgrammeforOrganicProduction(NPOP)definestheregulatory
mechanismwhichwaslaunchedbyTheMinistryofCommerceandIndustry,
GovernmentofIndia,2001andisregulatedundertwodifferentactsforthe
exportanddomesticmarketinIndia.
•TheNPOPnotifiedunderForeignTradeDevelopmentandRegulation(FTDR)Act
pertainstotheexportrequirements.
•TheregulatorybodyundertheFTDRActisAgriculturalandProcessedFood
ProductsExportDevelopmentAuthority(APEDA)ofIndiafunctioningunderthe
MinistryofCommerceandIndustry,GovernmentofIndia.
•TheNPOPnotifiedundertheAgriculturalProduceGrading,Markingand
CertificationAct(APMC)monitorsthedomesticandimportmarket.
•TheregulatorybodywhichgovernsitistheAgriculturalMarketingAdvisor
(AMA)undertheMinistryofAgriculture,GovernmentofIndia.

17. •TheNPOPstandardsforproductionandaccreditationsystemhave
beenrecognizedbytheEuropeanCommissionandSwitzerlandas
equivalenttotheircountrystandards.
•USDAhasalsoacceptedtheconformityassessmentsystemofNPOP.
•Thestandardshavebeenformulatedinaccordancewiththe
internationalstandards,suchasthoseofCODEXALIMENTARIUSand
InternationalFederationofOrganicAgricultureMovements
(IFOAM).
•Consequently,productscertifiedbyanIndianaccredited
certificationagencyunderNPOPcanbeexportedtoEurope,
SwitzerlandandUSAwithouttherequirementofre-certification.

18. TheaimsoftheNationalProgrammefororganicproduction,
interalia,includesthefollowing:
a.Toprovidethemeansofevaluationofcertification
programmesfororganicagricultureandproductsasperthe
approvedcriteria.
b.Toaccreditcertification
c.Tofacilitatecertificationoforganicproductsinconformity
totheNationalStandardsforOrganicProducts.
d.Toencouragethedevelopmentoforganicfarmingand
organicprocessing

19. CERTIFICATION
•Itisacertificationprocessforproducersoforganicfoodandotherorganic
agriculturalproducts.
•Ingeneral,anybusinessdirectlyinvolvedinfoodproductioncanbe
certified,includingseedsuppliers,farmers,foodprocessors,retailersand
restaurants.
•Requirementsvaryfromcountrytocountry,andgenerallyinvolveasetof
productionstandardsforgrowing,storage,processing,packagingand
shippingthatinclude:
•avoidanceofsyntheticchemicalinputs(e.g.fertilizer,pesticides,antibiotics,
foodadditives,etc)andgeneticallymodifiedorganisms;
•useoffarmlandthathasbeenfreefromchemicalsforanumberofyears
(often,threeormore);
•keepingdetailedwrittenproductionandsalesrecords(audittrail);
•maintainingstrictphysicalseparationoforganicproductsfromnon-
certifiedproducts;
•undergoingperiodicon-siteinspections.

20. Procedure for Obtaining Organic Farming
Certification
•Anypersonlookingtoobtainorganicfarmingcertification
foragriculturalproducemustsubmitanapplicationinthe
requisiteformatalongwiththefeeandcompletefield
verification.
•Beforesubmissionofapplication,itisimportantforthe
applicantorfarmertoensurethathis/herfarmconforms
tothestandardslaidoutbytheNationalProgrammefor
OrganicProduction(NPOP)fororganiccropproduction.

21. STANDARDS AND ITS TYPES
International standards
Regional standards
National standards
Certification standards

24. NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR
ORGANIC CROP PRODUCTION
1. Choice of crops and varieties
•Organicseedandplantmaterialsshallbeused.
•TheCertificationprogrammeshallsettimelimitsforthe
requirementofcertifiedorganicseedandotherplant
material;
•Whencertifiedorganicseedandplantmaterialsarenot
available,chemicallyuntreatedconventionalmaterialsshall
beused;
•Theuseofgeneticallyengineeredseeds,pollen,transgene
plantsorplantmaterialisprohibited.

25. 2. Duration of conversion period
•Plantproductsproducedcanbecertifiedorganicwhenthenational
standardsrequirementshavebeenmetduringaconversionperiodofat
leasttwoyearsbeforesowing,orinthecaseofperennialcropsother
thangrassland,atleastthreeyears(thirty-sixmonths)beforethefirst
harvestofproducts.
•Theconversionperiodcanbeextendedbythecertificationprogramme
dependingon,e.g.,pastuseofthelandandenvironmentalconditions
buttheperiodmustequalorexceedtwelvemonths;
•Thecertificationprogrammemayallowplantproductstobesoldas
“produceoforganicagricultureinprocessofconversion”orasimilar
descriptionwhentherequirementsprescribedundertheseStandards
havebeenmetforatleasttwelvemonths.

26. 3. Diversity in Crop Production
•Whereappropriate,thecertificationprogrammeshall
requirethatsufficientdiversityisobtainedintimeorplace
inamannerthattakesintoaccountpressurefrominsects,
weeds,diseasesandotherpests,whilemaintainingor
increasingsoilorganicmatter,fertility,microbialactivityand
generalsoilhealth.
•Fornonperennialcrops,thisisnormally,butnotexclusively,
achievedbymeansofcroprotation.

27. 4.FertilisationPolicy
•Biodegradablematerialofmicrobial,plantoranimaloriginshallformthebasisofthe
fertilisationprogramme;
•Thecertificationprogrammeshallsetlimitationstothetotalamountofbiodegradable
materialofmicrobial,plantoranimaloriginbroughtontothefarmunit,takinginto
accountlocalconditionsandthespecificnatureofthecrops;
•Thecertificationprogrammeshallsetstandards,whichpreventanimalrunfrom
becomingovermanuredwherethereisariskofpollution;
•Brought-inmaterial(includingpottingcompost)shallbeinaccordancewiththe
standards;
•Manurescontaininghumanexcreta(faecesandurine)shallnotbeused;
•Mineralfertilisersshallonlybeusedinasupplementaryroletocarbonbased
materials;
•Permissionforuseshallonlybegivenwhenotherfertilitymanagementpracticeshave
beenoptimised;

28. •Mineralfertilisersshallbeappliedintheirnatural
compositionandshallnotberenderedmoresolubleby
chemicaltreatment.
•Thecertificationprogrammemaygrantexceptionswhich
shallbewelljustified.
•Theseexceptionsshallnotincludemineralfertilisers
containingnitrogen;
•Thecertificationprogrammeshalllaydownrestrictionsfor
theuseofinputssuchasmineralpotassium,magnesium
fertilisers,traceelements,manuresandfertiliserswith
relativelyhighheavymetalcontentand/orotherunwanted
substanceseg.basicslag,rockphosphateandsewage
sludge;
•Chileannitrateandallsyntheticnitrogenousfertilisers,
includingureaareprohibited.

29. 5. Pest, Disease and Weed Management including
Growth Regulators
•Productsusedforpest,diseaseandweedmanagement,
preparedatthefarmfromlocalplants,animalsandmicro-
organisms,areallowed.
•Brandedproductsmustalwaysbeevaluated;
•Thermicweedcontrolandphysicalmethodsforpest,disease
andweedmanagementarepermitted;
•Thermicsterilisationofsoilstocombatpestsanddiseasesis
restrictedtocircumstanceswhereaproperrotationor
renewalofsoilcannottakeplace.

30. •Theuseofsyntheticherbicides,fungicides,insecticides,
syntheticgrowthregulators,syntheticdyesandother
pesticidesisprohibited.
•Theuseofgeneticallyengineeredorganismsorproductsis
prohibited;
•Accreditedcertificationprogrammesshallensurethat
measuresareinplacetopreventtransmissionofpests,
parasitesandinfectiousagents;

31. 6. Contamination Control
•Incaseofreasonablesuspicionofcontamination,thecertification
programmeshallmakesurethatananalysisoftherelevant
productstodetectthepossiblesourcesofpollution(soiland
water),shalltakeplacetodeterminethelevelofcontamination;
•Forprotectedstructurecoverings,plasticmulches,fleeces,insect
nettingandsilagerapping,onlyproductsbasedonpolyethylene
andpolypropyleneorotherpolycarbonatesareallowed.
•Theseshallberemovedfromthesoilafteruseandshallnotbe
burntonthefarmland.
•Theuseofpolychloridebasedproductsisprohibited.

32. 7. Soil and water Conservation
•Clearingoflandthroughthemeansofburningorganicmatter,
e.g.slash-andburn,strawburningshallberestrictedtothe
minimum;
•Theclearingofprimaryforestisprohibited;
•Relevantmeasuresshallbetakentopreventerosion;
•Excessiveexploitationanddepletionofwaterresourcesshall
notbeallowed;
•Relevantmeasuresshallbetakentopreventsalinationofsoil
andwater.

33. The steps followed by APEDA for organic
certification of produce are

34. Certificationagency:
Theorganiccertificationprocessiscarriedoutbyaccreditedbodies
underNPOP.
Thereare28agenciesaccreditedbyAPEDA.
Thesecertifyingagenciesverifyfarms,storagesandprocessing
units.
ProductscertifiedorganicbythemcarrytheIndiaorganiclogo.
OrganicLogoInordertodemonstrateandestablishthecredibility
andcommunicatingthegenuinenessandtheoriginalityofthe
product,thetrademark“IndiaOrganic”iscreatedandownedbythe
GovernmentofIndia.
ItisgrantedontheconditionofcompliancewiththeNational
StandardsforOrganicProduction(NSOP).
Onlysuchexporters,manufacturersandprocessorswhoseproducts
aredulycertifiedbytheaccreditedinspectionandcertification
agencies,isgrantedthelicencetousethelogo,whichisgoverned
byasetofregulations.

36. ParticipatoryGuaranteeSystem-India(PGS-India):
ThedevelopmentofPGSinIndiabeganin2006.Itwasonlyin2015
thatitwasofficiallyrecognized.
PGS-Indiaisaprocessbasedcertificationwhereinagroupcertifies
thatitsmembersaregrowingfoodorganically.
Thiscertificationprocesshasbeenmadefreeforthefarmers,
ensuringthattheydonothavetobearanycostotherthana
nominalcostassetbythefarmercommunity.
Currently,PGS-IndiaisimplementedbytheNationalCentreof
OrganicFarming(NCOF)undertheNationalProjectonOrganic
Farming(NPOF),DepartmentofAgriculture,Cooperationand
Farmers’Welfare,GovernmentofIndia.
•Producefromfarmsthatarebeingconvertedtoorganiccarriesthe
PGS-IndiaGreenlogoduringthetransitionperiod,a
andafterthreeyearsofnotusingany
chemicalsthefarmwillbeeligibleforthe
PGS-IndiaOrganicsymbol.

38. •InPGSthelocalfarmersconducttheirownappraisalandmaintain
therulesandstandardsofthegroup.Itissimplerandcheaperand
iscontrolledbythefarmingcommunityitself.
•It’srecommendedfororganicfarmerswhoworkasagrouporwho
cancometogetherasagroupatvillageordistrictlevel.
•Thedesignisbestsuitedforsmallandmarginalfarmerswherethe
communityissupportedbyNGOsoranyinstitution.
•PGS-IndiacontrolsthequalitysystemthroughinternalQMS
throughFarmerGrowerGroupCertification(GGC)insteadofa
certifyingagency.
•TheroleofGGCisasfollows:
1.Actasaninternalqualitycontrolsystemforsmallfarmergroupand
cooperatives
2.Producerswhosharecommonproductsareorganizedunderone
managementandmarketingsystem
3.Collectivemarketingoftheorganicproducts,
4.Centralizedprocessing,marketing,anddistributionsystem,
5.Internalcontrolandsupervisionsystemtoensurecompliancewith
organic
certification.

40. Applying for Organic Farm Certification
•Oncetherequirementsfororganicfarmingaresatisfied,theapplicant
canprepareandsubmitanapplication.
•Theapplicationforcertificationmustcontainthefollowinginformation:
•Anorganicproductionorhandlingsystemplan.
•Allinformationrequestedintheapplicationshallbecompletedinfulli.e.
name,addresses,detailsofcontactperson,telephonenumberofthe
authorizedpersonetc.,
•Thenamesoforganiccertificationbodytowhichapplicationis
previouslymadeandoutcome,non-compliancenotedifany,copyof
suchrecordsandreasonforapplyingshallbegiven.
•Anyotherinformationnecessarytodeterminethecompliancewiththe
standardsspecified.
•Theprescribedregistrationfee,onetimeinspectionfee,onetimetravel
costshouldbepaidbytheoperatoralongwiththeapplicationform.

41. FeeforOrganicFarmCertification
•Thefeeforissuingorganicfarmcertificationdiffersbasedon
thecertifyingauthority.
•ThefollowingisthefeechargedbytheTamilNaduOrganic
CertificationDepartmentfororganiccertification
•Application form
•Fee structure

42. Review of Application
•Onsubmissionandreviewoftheapplication,thedecisionof
acceptanceorrejectionontheapplicationwouldbetakenbythe
accreditationauthority.
•Allrejectedapplicationwouldbereturnedtotheapplicant
quotingreasonsforrejection.

43. Scheduling of Inspection
•Beforesanctioningofaccreditation,aninitialfieldinspectionwouldbe
fixedatareasonabletimesothattheoperatorcanverifythecapacityto
complywiththestandardswhileconductingtheinspectionofland,
facilities,andactivities.
•Thepreliminaryinspectioncanbedelayeduptosixmonthsfromthedate
ofregistrationtogivetimefortheoperatortocomplywithrequired
standardsincludingrecordkeeping.
•Allonsiteinspectionmustbeconductedonlyinthepresenceofoperatoror
anauthorizedrepresentativeoftheoperatorwhoiseducatedaboutthe
operation.
•However,thisrequirementdoesnotariseinthecaseofunannounced
inspections.
•Thereshouldbeoneannualinspectionandadditionalinspectionscanbe
fixedbasedontheriskassessmentcarriedoutduringtheinitialinspection.

44. Verification During Inspection
•Duringfieldinspection,theconcernedauthoritieswouldverifythe
compliancewiththeNPOPstandards.
•Theauthoritieswouldensurethattheprohibitedsubstances/
materialsarenotusedandincaseofdoubt,theycandrawsamples
ofsoil,water,wastes,seeds,planttissues,plant,animal,and
processedproducts.
•ThesamplesshouldbetestedinNABLaccreditedISO17025
laboratories.
•Theoperatorwouldbearthecostofsamplessentforanalysis.
•Duringtheinspection,theconcernedauthoritiescanalsoconductan
interviewwiththepersonresponsiblefortheorganicproduction
systemtoconfirmtheaccuracyofinformationgatheredduringthe
inspectionandthecompletenessofobservationgatheredduringthe
onsiteinspection.

45. •Theinspectorcanalsocollectotherrequiredinformation.
•Afterinspection,theconcernedauthoritywoulddraftachecklist,
inspectionreportandobtainthesignatureoftheoperatororhis
representative.
•Acopyofthechecklistandinspectionreportshouldbesenttothe
concernedoperatorandevaluator.
•Inspectionreportsmustbevaluedbytheevaluatorwithina
reasonabletimeandanyadditionalinformationrequiredshould
beaddressedtotheoperator.
•Incaseofanynon-compliancewiththegeneralstandards,an
explanationshouldbecalledfromtheoperatorandsanctionscan
beleviedbasedonrequirements.

46. Granting Of Organic Farm Certification
•OnconformancewiththeNationalProgrammeforOrganicProduction
(NPOP),theaccreditationagencywouldissuetheCertificateof
Registration,TransactionCertificateandProductCertificatetothe
eligibleoperators.
•Theissueofthiscertificateshallbebasedonthedecisionmadebythe
certificationcommittee.
•Iftheoperationdoesnotcomplywiththestandards,theoperatorwould
beintimatedaboutdenialofcertificationstatingthereasons.
•Uponreceiptofsuchreports,theoperatorcancorrectthe
noncomplianceandsubmitthereporttotheaccreditationagency.
•Incaseofdenial,theoperatorcanalsofileanAppealtotheAppeal
Committee.

47. •Record-keeping-written,day-to-dayfarmingandmarketingrecords,
coveringallactivities,mustbeavailableforinspectionatanytime.
•Inaddition,short-noticeorsurpriseinspectionscanbemade,andspecific
tests(e.g.soil,water,planttissue)mayberequested.
•Forfirst-timefarmcertification,thesoilmustmeetbasicrequirementsof
beingfreefromuseofprohibitedsubstances(syntheticchemicals,etc)for
anumberofyears.
•Aconventionalfarmmustadheretoorganicstandardsforthisperiod,
often,threeyears.Thisisknownasbeingintransition.
•Transitionalcropsarenotconsideredfullyorganic.
•Afarmalreadygrowingwithoutchemicalsmaybecertifiedwithoutthis
delay.
•Certificationforoperationsotherthanfarmsissimilar.

49. National Accreditation Body
•TheNationalSteeringCommitteewouldalsofunctionastheNational
AccreditationBody.
•ThemembersoftheNationalAccreditationBodyshallcompriseof
representativesfromMinistryofAgriculture,MinistryofCommerceand
Industry,APEDA,CoffeeBoard,SpicesBoardandTeaBoard.
•TheChairmanoftheBodyshallbetheChairmanoftheNationalSteering
Committee.
•TheworkoftheNationalAccreditationBodywillinclude:
(a)DrawingupproceduresforevaluationandAccreditationofcertification
programmes.
(b)Formulatingproceduresforevaluationoftheagenciesimplementingthe
programmes
(c)AccreditationofinspectionandcertificationagenciesEverycertifierwill
implementacertificationprogrammeandaprogrammecannotbe
accreditedwithoutaccreditingthecertifier.

50. Evaluation Committee
•EligibleInspectionandCertificationAgenciesimplementingcertification
programmeswillbeevaluatedbyanEvaluationCommittee.
•TheEvaluationCommitteewillbeappointedbytheNationalAccreditation
Body.
•ThemembersoftheEvaluationCommitteewillcompriseofmembersdrawn
fromtheAPEDA,CoffeeBoard,SpicesBoard,TeaBoard,Ministryof
AgricultureandExportInspectionCouncilofIndia(EIC)/ExportInspection
Agencies(EIAs).
•APEDA,onbehalfoftheNationalAccreditationBody,willreceiveandscreen
applicationsfromthecertificationagencies,willcoordinateandarrange
evaluationvisitsetc.toascertainthecredentialsofcertificationprogrammes
oftheapplicants.
•TheEvaluationCommitteewillsubmititsrecommendationstotheNational
AccreditationBodyforconsideringaccreditation.

51. Accredited Inspection and Certification
Agencies
•BasedontherecommendationsoftheEvaluationCommittee,
eligibleInspectionandCertificationAgencieswillbeaccredited
bytheNationalAccreditationBody.
•Theseagenciesshouldbewellversedwiththeoperating
procedures,theNSOPandtheinternationalstandards.
•Theirprogrammesshouldhavebeeninoperationforatleast
oneyearandtheyshouldbeabletoprovidethesupporting
documents.

52. Inspectors
•Theinspectors,appointedbytheaccreditedInspectionand
CertificationAgencieswillcarryoutinspectionofthe
operationsthroughrecordsmaintainedbytheoperatorsas
perspecifiedformatsandalsobyperiodicsiteinspection.
•Basedoncompliancewiththestandardsandcertification
programmes,accreditedInspectionandCertification
Agencieswillcertifytheorganicstatusofproductsand
operations,specifyingtheirconditionsand
recommendations.

53. LABELLING
•Thepersonorcompanylegallyresponsiblefortheproductionorprocessing
oftheproductshallbeidentifiable.
•Singleingredientproductsmaybelabelledas"produceoforganic
agriculture"orasimilardescriptionwhenallStandardsrequirementshave
beenmet.
•Mixedproductswherenotallingredients,includingadditives,areoforganic
originmaybelabelledinthefollowingway(rawmaterialweight):
•Productsmadewithentirelywithcertifiedorganicingredientsandmethods
canbelabelledas“100%certifiedorganic”
•Whereaminimumof95%oftheingredientsareofcertifiedorganicorigin,
productsmaybelabelled"certifiedorganic"orsimilarandshouldcarrythe
logoofthecertificationprogramme.

55. •Wherelessthan95%butnotlessthan70%oftheingredientsareof
certifiedorganicorigin,productsmaynotbecalled"organic".
•Theword"organic"maybeusedontheprincipaldisplayinstatementslike
"madewithorganicingredients"providedthereisaclearstatementofthe
proportionoftheorganicingredients.
•Wherelessthan70%oftheingredientsareofcertifiedorganicorigin,the
indicationthataningredientisorganicmayappearintheingredientslist.
Suchproductmaynotbecalled"organic".
•Addedwaterandsaltshallnotbeincludedinthepercentagecalculationsof
organicingredients.
•Thelabelforin-conversionproductsshallbeclearlydistinguishablefrom
thelabelfororganicproducts.

57. •Allrawmaterialsofamulti-ingredientproductshallbelistedon
theproductlabelinorderoftheirweightpercentage.
•Itshallbeapparentwhichrawmaterialsareoforganiccertified
originandwhicharenot.
•Alladditivesshallbelistedwiththeirfullname.
•Ifherbsand/orspicesconstitutelessthan2%ofthetotalweight
oftheproduct,theymaybelistedas"spices"or"herbs"without
statingthepercentage.
•OrganicproductsshallnotbelabelledasGE(geneticengineering)
orGM(geneticmodification)freeinordertoavoidpotentially
misleadingclaimsabouttheendproduct.
•Anyreferencetogeneticengineeringonproductlabelsshallbe
limitedtotheproductionmethod.

62. ACCEREDITATION AGENCIES
•The national steering committee designated
•APEDA
•COFFEE BOARD
•SPICES BOARD
•TEA BOARD
•COCONUT DEVELOPMENT BOARD
•DIRECTORATE OF CASHEW AND COCOA
BOARD

63. ACCREDITION PROCEDURES
•TheseregulationswillapplytocertificationagencieswhocomplywithISO
Guide65
•Nocertificategrantedbycertifyingagencyinrespectofproductsasorganic
willbevalidunlesstheagencyisaccreditedbyrespectiveaccreditation
agency.
•GOIwillconstitutecommitteeforaccreditationofrespectiveaccreditation
agenciesseparately.
•Applicantseekingaccreditationasanagencyorrenewalhavetosubmitan
applicationtotheauthorizedofficerinprescribedformavailablewith
accreditationagencyalongwithfeeprescribed.
•Onreceiptofapplication,theaccreditationagencywillarrangeforfield
evaluation.

64. •Committeeforaccreditationwillconsiderapplicationalongwith
evaluationreport.
•Ifapplicantfulfillstheprescribedcriteria,thecommitteewillgive
approvaltocertifyingagency.
•Onreceiptofcertificatedulysignedbycertificationagency,the
accreditationagencywillissuetheCertificateofaccreditationwithina
periodof15daysfromthedateofreceiptofapproval.
•Theaccreditationagencymayterminatetheaccreditationstatus,if
performanceofagencyisnotinaccordancewiththeaccreditation
criteria.

65. Challenges for organic agriculture
•Maintainingsustainabilityintheglobaleconomy:balancingorganic
principleswithcommercialimperatives.
•Maintainingflexibleorganicstandardsandcertificationprocessesto
addressissues.
•Pursuinginternationalharmonizationofstandardsandcertification.
•Developinglocallyapplicableagronomicsolutionstoproduction
constraints,suchasweeds,animalhealthandsoilfertility.
•Preservingfoodqualitywhiletryingtoincreaseproductivity.
•Inadequaciesinregulatoryandmarketingstructures(e.g.labelling).
•Establishingandmaintainingcredibilityandprofessionalism.