Why We Need Organic Agriculture
- Organic agriculture ensures the good quality of the food people consume
- Reduce the health issues created by inorganic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and etc.
- Reduce the environmental pollution issues caused by agriculture and promote the sustainability in agriculture
What is the Importance of Organic Agriculture Certification
- Organic agriculture certification provides the proof and certifies relevant agri-product is produced according to the requirements of organic agriculture
- Establish the trust between the farmer/agriculture organization and consumer/buyer
What Can be Certified in Organic Agriculture
- All cultivatable crops
- Wild collection
- Animal husbandry
- Aquaculture
- Mushroom
- Honey
- Fiber
- Timber
- off farm inputs
Who/What are eligible for certification
- Individual farms and groups (large scale farms, small holder organizations and etc.)
- Agricultural products processors
- Agricultural products packers
- Agricultural products retailers
- Agricultural commodities traders/exporters
Principles of Organic Certification
- Agreed production and processing standard (what needs to be done)
- Agreed verification procedures (how is it checked)
- Neutral body that verifies the compliance (who guarantees)
Key Areas in Organic Certification
- Defining the production unit; i.e. Tea, Paddy, Vegetable
- Parallel production is not allowed; i.e. cultivation of same crop in organic and conventional method
- Conversion from conventional to organic agriculture normally take 3 - 4 years
- Inputs of production should be acceptable; i.e. manure, seeds
- GMOs, growth hormones, fumigation, radiation should be avoided
- Traceability of product flow
- All the activities should be documented
- package, transport, storage, labeling should follow required standards
- Packaging should be food grade
- Transportation should not damage the product
- Storage should be separated according to the commodity
- Label should include organic agriculture certified logo
- Inspection and certification of entire production chain should be done at least once a year
- Transparency in communication and information exchange
Certification Methods
- First party certification - Farmer certifies their products are organic
- Second party certification - The Organization to which the farmer belongs certifies the products are organic
- Third party certification - An inspector from a certifying agency certifies the products are organic
Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB)
- All the third party agencies which gives the organic certification must be accredited by SLAB
- Applying for an organic agriculture certification to a certifier
- Estimation of cost for certification
- Signing contract with certifier
- Preparation of detailed description of the project
- Onsite inspections and interviews done by the certifier
- Documentation check
- Evaluation of project
- Certification
- Taking corrective actions if needed
- Annual inspection and update of the certificate
Certification Agencies Currently Operating in Sri Lanka
- Control Union
- NASAA, Australia
- Institute for Market Ecology, Switzerland
- Naturland, Germany
- EcoCert, Germany
- Demeter and BioSuisse, Switzerland
- Organic Farmers and Growers Ltd, United Kingdom
Lanka Organic Agriculture Movement - 1994
This organization consists of scientists, organic farmers professionals, members of the organic corporates. This Organization plays a major role in policy development, preparation of guidelines and development of standards for organic agriculture in Sri Lanka.
References
- https://mesaprogram.org/2012/05/31/sri-lanka-lanka-organic-agriculture-movement-loam-11309/
- http://www.srilankabusiness.com/organic/organic-certification-in-sri-lanka.html
- http://slab.lk/
- https://www.ifoam.bio/
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