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norms 2012 the ifoam norms and for organic production processing version 2012 includes · comonobjectivesandrequirementsoforganic standardscoros­ifoamstandardsrequirements · theifoamstandardfororganicproductionand processing · ifoamaccreditationrequirementsforbodiescertifying organicproductionandprocessing

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published in germany by ifoam © ifoam august 2012 die deutsche bibliothek ­ cip cataloguing-in-publication-data a catalogue record for this publication is available from die deutsche bibliothek isbn 978-3-940946-99-7 a download of the publication is available via the ifoam website for free 1

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table of content i introduction to the ifoam norms 5 1 the ifoam norms and organic guarantee system 6 2 the principles of organic agriculture 9 ii common objectives and requirements of organic standards coros ­ ifoam standards requirements 12 introduction 13 development 13 scope and content 13 purpose 14 structure and functioning of the coros 14 approval and maintenance of the coros 15 main objectives and detailed requirements of the coros 15 definitions 20 criteria for substances used in organic production and processing 23 iii the ifoam standard for organic production and processing 25 section a general 26 section b ­ definitions principles recommendations and standards 28 1 definitions 28 2 organic ecosystems 32 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 ecosystem management 32 soil and water conservation 33 inappropriate technologies 34 wild harvested products and common/public land management 34 split production and parallel production 35 maintenance of organic management 35 organic production of micro-organisms for processed food and feed 36 choice of crops and varieties and propagation of planting materials 36 conversion period plant production 37 diversity in crop production 38 soil fertility and fertilization 38 pest disease and weed management 40 avoiding contamination 41 breeding of organic varieties 41 3 general requirements for crop production and animal husbandry 35 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 4 crop production 36 5 animal husbandry 42 animal management 42 conversion period 44 animals sources/origin 45 breeds and breeding 46 mutilations 46 animal nutrition 47 veterinary medicine 48 transport and slaughter 50 bee keeping 51 conversion to organic aquaculture 52 aquatic ecosystems 53 aquatic plants 53 breeds and breeding 54 aquatic animal nutrition 54 aquatic animal health and welfare 55 6 aquaculture production standards 52 2

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6.7 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 8.1 aquatic animal transport and slaughter 55 general 56 ingredients 57 processing methods 58 pest and disease control 59 packaging 60 cleaning disinfecting and sanitizing of processing facilities 60 general 61 7 processing and handling 56 8 labeling 61 9 social justice 62 section c ­ appendices 65 appendix 1 criteria for the evaluation of inputs additives and processing aids for organic production and processing 66 appendix 2 fertilizers and soil conditioners 73 appendix 3 crop protectants and growth regulators 75 appendix 4 ­ table 1 list of approved additives and processing postharvest handling aids 77 appendix 4 ­ table 2 indicative list of equipment cleansers and equipment disinfectants 80 appendix 5 substances for pest and disease control and disinfection in livestock housing 81 iv ifoam accreditation requirements for bodies certifying organic production and processing 82 introduction 83 definitions 85 1 structure 89 1.1 general requirements 89 1.2 responsibility 89 1.3 impartiality and objectivity 90 1.4 resources 93 2 accessibility and scope 94 2.1 non-discrimination 94 2.2 access to services 94 2.3 certification scope 95 3 quality system for certification 97 3.1 quality policy 97 3.2 quality system 97 3.3 quality documentation 97 3.4 internal audits 98 3.5 complaints 99 4 confidentiality provisions 99 4.1 general 99 5 documentation and document control 100 5.1 general 100 5.2 public access to information 100 5.3 document control 101 5.4 records 101 6 application and inspection procedures 102 6.1 application procedures 102 6.2 preparation for inspection 104 6.3 visit procedures 105 6.4 sampling and testing 106 3

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6.5 inspection report 106 6.6 record of inspection 107 6.7 additional requirements and inspection regime for particular circumstances 107 7 certification procedures 109 7.1 general requirements 110 7.2 certification decisions 110 7.3 the certification process 111 7.4 certificates 111 7.5 surveillance 112 7.6 use of licenses certificates and certification marks 114 7.7 sanctions 115 7.8 appeals 116 7.9 risk reduction between certification bodies 116 7.10 changes in certification requirements 117 8 inspection and certification for specific circumstances or scope 117 8.1 certification of wild products 117 8.2 approval or certification of inputs 118 8.3 group certification 119 9 acceptance of prior certification 123 9.1 general requirements for all methods of acceptance 123 9.2 acceptance of product based on recognition of a certification program 124 9.3 acceptance of product based on document review 126 9.4 acceptance of applicants currently certified by another certification body 126 9.5 certification partnerships 127 the ifoam accreditation programs 128 about ifoam 131 4

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i introduction to the ifoam norms 5

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1 the ifoam norms and organic guarantee system the ifoam norms the ifoam norms are composed of three documents the common objectives and requirements of organic standards coros ifoam standards requirements the ifoam standard for organic production and processing and the ifoam accreditation requirements for bodies certifying organic production and processing this publication provides these ifoam norms and related information in an electronic book form electronic copies are available for free download on ifoam website www.ifoam.org the norms are the basis for ifoam s organic guarantee system which is described below the coros fulfills additional purposes including serving as a template for equivalence assessments carried out by governments and as a guideline for private and governmental agencies that set their own regional or other specialized standards for direct use in certification additional information about each of the three norms is presented in their introductory sections ifoam s organic guarantee system supporting the worldwide adoption of environmentally socially and economically sound systems based on the principles of organic agriculture the ifoam organic guarantee system facilitates trade upholds organic integrity and assures consumers internationally in the rapidly growing environment of marketing and trade of products claiming to be organic ifoam supports a market guarantee of the integrity of organic claims the organic guarantee system ogs unites the organic world of organic assurance by providing tools for the recognition of standards and verification systems and for market identity it fosters equivalence of participating certifiers and thereby facilitates the trade of organic products between operators certified by different participating certification bodies it also provides a unique tool to facilitate equivalence recognitions amongst government organic regulations and the equivalence recognition of private systems by governments hence the ifoam organic guarantee system not only upholds organic integrity but helps to remove technical barriers to organic trade and to facilitate market access for all especially small producers the ifoam family of standards is the centerpiece of the ifoam ogs it contains all standards and technical regulations that have been approved by ifoam as equivalent to the common objectives and requirements of organic standards coros ­ ifoam standards requirements the family of standards is hence the tool that draws the line between organic and non-organic standards all standards and government regulations approved in the ifoam family of standards are recognized by ifoam as true organic standards and hence can be used for certification connected to other ogs components 6

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the ifoam organic guarantee system enables organic certifiers to become ifoam accredited or ifoam global organic system accredited these accreditation are the only organic international accreditations existing to date and hence represent the ultimate mark of competence for organic certifiers operators certified by such accredited certifiers in the scope of their accredited programs can label their products with the corresponding ifoam seal ifoam accredited or ifoam system accredited next to the logo of their accredited certifier the ogs offers conformity assessment to accepted international norms ifoam accreditation and the ifoam global organic system accreditation igosa guarantee to buyers government authorities other control agencies and the public that a product has been produced within a system that conforms to internationally recognized standards for organic production processing and certification in both accreditation programs compliance of certifiers with the ifoam accreditation requirements is required in the ifoam accreditation the certifier must use a certification standard compliant with the ifoam standard in the igosa the certifier must use a certification standard approved in the ifoam family of standards hence equivalent to the coros aside from accreditation of certifiers the ifoam organic guarantee system also provides additional services based on the use of or compliance with the ifoam norms certifiers associations or participatory guarantee system pgs initiatives wishing to use the ifoam standard directly for certification in their programs can do so after signing a contract with ifoam standard owners wishing to have their standard internationally recognized can apply for inclusion of their standard in the ifoam family of standards if approved they will feature in the ifoam family frame can claim equivalence to the coros and will be able to use the ifoam family of standards logo finally operators wishing to use the ifoam global organic mark on the packaging of their products can do so by signing a contract with ifoam and after demonstrating that their products are certified by an accredited certifier against a standard approved in the ifoam family of standards the common objectives and requirements of organic standards coros and the ifoam standard are rooted in ifoam s principles of organic agriculture the principles of organic agriculture are the basis for all of ifoam s work particularly as it relates to organic standards for this reason the principles are presented in this introduction to the ifoam norms the ifoam accreditation requirements are based on the international iso norms for the operation of certifying bodies and they are additionally developed to reflect the particular circumstances of certifying organic production and processing the ifoam norms are generally respected as the international guideline from which national standards and control systems may be built and they have been used as a reference by standard-setters and legislators in national and international arenas ifoam basic standards a previous component of the ifoam norms now replaced by the ifoam standard have had a strong influence on the development of codex 7

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alimentarius guidelines for the production labeling and marketing of organically produced foods the development of the ifoam standard conforms to iso/iec guide 59 code of good practice for standardization to the iseal code of good practice for setting social and environmental standards and the wto technical barriers to trade tbt agreement annex 3 code of good practice for the preparation adoption and application of standards the coros has been developed through a joint effort of ifoam fao the food and agriculture organization of the united nations and unctad the un conference on trade and development the document has been approved by the three organizations in 2011 the development and approval processes of the three documents composing the ifoam norms is now regulated by ifoam s policy 20 on the revision of the ifoam norms although the version of the ifoam accreditation requirements included in this book of norms has been approved by the ifoam world board in 2005 any future change in any of the three documents will be decided by the ifoam membership through vote the implementation of the ogs is a collaboration among ifoam and the ioas ifoam accreditation and the ifoam global organic system accreditation are administered by an independent organization the international organic accreditation service ioas the ioas evaluates the compliance of certification systems with the requirements of those accreditation programs through a system of document review and site evaluation and execution of accreditation decisions by a committee with global representation and expertise the ogs is governed by policies and procedures the policies and procedures provide the framework for revisions and interpretations of the norms they prescribe under which circumstances revisions of the various documents constituting the ifoam norms can be initiated and how decisions on changes are taken the policies and procedures also regulate the responsibilities of the committees that are engaged in the continuous development of the norms finally ogs policies and procedures regulate the use of ogs services including the process for approval of standards in the ifoam family of standards the use of the global organic mark and of the ifoam seals and the use of the ifoam standard the policies related to the ogs can be found in the ogs section of the ifoam website at www.ifoam.org 8

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2 the principles of organic agriculture preamble these principles are the roots from which organic agriculture grows and develops they express the contribution that organic agriculture can make to the world and a vision to improve all agriculture in a global context agriculture is one of humankind s most basic activities because all people need to nourish themselves daily history culture and community values are embedded in agriculture the principles apply to agriculture in the broadest sense including the way people tend soils water plants and animals in order to produce prepare and distribute food and other goods they concern the way people interact with living landscapes relate to one another and shape the legacy of future generations the principles of organic agriculture serve to inspire the organic movement in its full diversity they guide ifoam s development of positions programs and standards furthermore they are presented with a vision of their world-wide adoption organic agriculture is based on the principle of health the principle of ecology the principle of fairness the principle of care each principle is articulated through a statement followed by an explanation the principles are to be used as a whole they are composed as ethical principles to inspire action principle of health organic agriculture should sustain and enhance the health of soil plant animal human and planet as one and indivisible this principle points out that the health of individuals and communities cannot be separated from the health of ecosystems healthy soils produce healthy crops that foster the health of animals and people health is the wholeness and integrity of living systems it is not simply the absence of illness but the maintenance of physical mental social and ecological well-being immunity resilience and regeneration are key characteristics of health the role of organic agriculture whether in farming processing distribution or consumption is to sustain and enhance the health of ecosystems and organisms from the smallest in the soil to human beings in particular organic agriculture is 9

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intended to produce high quality nutritious food that contributes to preventive health care and well-being in view of this it should avoid the use of fertilizers pesticides animal drugs and food additives that may have adverse health effects principle of ecology organic agriculture should be based on living ecological systems and cycles work with them emulate them and help sustain them this principle roots organic agriculture within living ecological systems it states that production is to be based on ecological processes and recycling nourishment and well-being are achieved through the ecology of the specific production environment for example in the case of crops this is the living soil for animals it is the farm ecosystem for fish and marine organisms the aquatic environment organic farming pastoral and wild harvest systems should fit the cycles and ecological balances in nature these cycles are universal but their operation is sitespecific organic management must be adapted to local conditions ecology culture and scale inputs should be reduced by reuse recycling and efficient management of materials and energy in order to maintain and improve environmental quality and conserve resources organic agriculture should attain ecological balance through the design of farming systems establishment of habitats and maintenance of genetic and agricultural diversity those who produce process trade or consume organic products should protect and benefit the common environment including landscapes climate habitats biodiversity air and water principle of fairness organic agriculture should build on relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the common environment and life opportunities fairness is characterized by equity respect justice and stewardship of the shared world both among people and in their relations to other living beings this principle emphasizes that those involved in organic agriculture should conduct human relationships in a manner that ensures fairness at all levels and to all parties farmers workers processors distributors traders and consumers organic agriculture should provide everyone involved with a good quality of life and contribute to food sovereignty and reduction of poverty it aims to produce a sufficient supply of good quality food and other products this principle insists that animals should be provided with the conditions and opportunities of life that accord with their physiology natural behavior and well 10

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being natural and environmental resources that are used for production and consumption should be managed in a way that is socially and ecologically just and should be held in trust for future generations fairness requires systems of production distribution and trade that are open and equitable and account for real environmental and social costs principle of care organic agriculture should be managed in a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the health and well-being of current and future generations and the environment organic agriculture is a living and dynamic system that responds to internal and external demands and conditions practitioners of organic agriculture can enhance efficiency and increase productivity but this should not be at the risk of jeopardizing health and well-being consequently new technologies need to be assessed and existing methods reviewed given the incomplete understanding of ecosystems and agriculture care must be taken this principle states that precaution and responsibility are the key concerns in management development and technology choices in organic agriculture science is necessary to ensure that organic agriculture is healthy safe and ecologically sound however scientific knowledge alone is not sufficient practical experience accumulated wisdom and traditional and indigenous knowledge offer valid solutions tested by time organic agriculture should prevent significant risks by adopting appropriate technologies and rejecting unpredictable ones such as genetic engineering decisions should reflect the values and needs of all who might be affected through transparent and participatory processes 11

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ii common objectives and requirements of organic standards coros ­ ifoam standards requirements version 2011 ratified by the ifoam general assembly through electronic vote in july 2011 12

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introduction organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils ecosystems and people it relies on ecological processes biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects organic agriculture combines tradition innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved the system is often further described by standards which govern labeling and claims for organic products a large number of standards have proliferated all over the world as a result of private and public initiatives to provide labeling and consumer assurance in both private and government contexts there is now a need to support trade of organic products by finding ways and means of assessing the equivalence of organic standards development the common objectives and requirements of organic standards coros was developed as a joint venture of the ifoam organic guarantee system ogs and the goma global organic market access project undertaken by fao ifoam and unctad the concept of coros was first developed by the international task force on harmonization and equivalence itf through the annex of the guide for assessing equivalence of organic standards and technical regulations equitool in 2008 www.goma-organic.org the document was compiled on the basis of the ifoam basic standards and codex alimentarius as the two pre-existing international reference organic standards and through the review of a significant number of existing standards and regulations across the world scope and content the coros articulates the broad objectives which the production rules in organic standards and regulations commonly seek to achieve and presents the common detailed requirements that relate to these various objectives the coros contains only requirements that were commonly found in organic standards and regulations globally the coros includes production requirements related to general organic management crop and animal production beekeeping processing and handling and social justice organic aquaculture textile processing and cosmetics are not included in the scope of the coros primarily due to the fact that these are emerging scopes that are currently not yet covered by the majority of organic standards and regulations 13

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purpose the coros is intended for use in international equivalence assessments of organic standards and regulations as an annex to the equitool developed by the international task force on harmonization and equivalence itf it is proposed as a template to guide governments and other stakeholders in conducting objectivebased equivalence assessments of two or more organic standards or regulations in the context of the ifoam organic guarantee system it serves as the ifoam standards requirements the international reference against which all organic standards and regulations will be assessed against for the purpose of inclusion in the ifoam family of standards equivalence assessment of all standards against the coros will be conducted by ifoam following its policies and procedures available on www.ifoam.org and the results will be made available to the public within the frame of the ifoam family of standards governments are encouraged to use the family of standards as a basis for granting equivalence to other organic standards and regulations for the purpose of regulating imports hence the ifoam family of standards is intended to become a voluntary tool for international multi-lateral equivalence agreements between governments or between private standard owners governments may also use the equivalence assessments done by ifoam against the coros as a basis to facilitate their own unilateral or bilateral decisions on equivalence structure and functioning of the coros the highest degree of functionality of the coros is provided in the form of an electronic spreadsheet containing three sheets the first sheet is proposed as a data entry sheet requirements of the coros are laid out following the most classical structure of organic standards for each requirement the person or group performing the assessment can enter the corresponding requirement in the assessed standard and a judgment on whether the requirement is equivalent additional positive variation or absent/incomplete negative variation the evaluation matrix also contains space for the owner of the assessed standard to provide justification for the observed variations to the coros if appropriate and for the assessors to place comments and to agree or not with the justification provided all this data is automatically fed into the second sheet that reorganizes this analysis according to the broader objectives that the requirements help to achieve hence the second sheet enables the assessor to look at the equivalence assessment results from an objective-based angle and to judge how well the assessed standard is addressing the various common objectives of organic standards and regulations finally a third sheet is provided to help the assessors summarize the results of the equivalence assessment for the purpose of making the final decision and communicating with other parties or the public the summary should provide a quick view of the strength and weaknesses of the assessed 14

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