30th May 2023 12:58 am

30th May 2023 12:58 am

ABOUT US

The Alliance for Organic Integrity (AOI) and Biocertificacion SL (BSL) re-launched the highly respected ‘The Organic Standard’ journal at Biofach 2023 in Nuremberg, Germany.

Originally founded in 2000 by Grolink, ‘The Organic Standard’ online journal provides the organic community with much needed news, analysis, insight and guidance on global organic regulatory, standards and control issues.

The partnership between AOI and BSL has enabled ‘The Organic Standard’ to be revived, reporting on timely issues affecting organic integrity and the organic control community and providing the information needed to help strengthen organic assurance, globally.

About The Alliance for Organic Integrity

The Alliance was founded in 2019 by IOAS to improve organic integrity. Our mission is to be the global multi-stakeholder Alliance that delivers the education, tools and resources needed to lift quality in organic control, while maintaining the integrity of organic certification and consumer confidence in the organic label. We are a not-for-profit organisation, registered in the US as a 501(c)(3) corporation. Visit our website to learn more or to find out how you can join the Alliance and support our work. www.alliancefororganicintegrity.bio

About Biocertificacion SL

The company was founded as Organic Assignments C.B. in 2004 and changed its name to Biocertificación S.L. in 2020. Biocertificación collaborates with other certification bodies and standards owners, such as Naturland, Soil Association, bio.inspecta AG, etc., in verifying the application of organic production and processing standards such as the organic EU Regulation, Naturland Standards, COSMOS, etc. Its main project is BioVidaSana for the certification of organic and natural cosmetics. This non-profit project enables rigorously reviewed organic cosmetic products from small artisan producers, as well as medium and large trademarks, to be incorporated into the market. www.cosmeticabiovidasana.org

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NEWS

LEGAL NOTICE

Service provider: In compliance with the Spanish Law 34/2002 of 11 July 2002 on Information Society Services and Electronic Commerce, the following details are provided below.

The company owning the web domain www.organicstandard.com is:

Company Name: Biocertificacion, SL

Tax identification number: B01665637

Registered address: Carrer Arenal 7 17486 Castelló d´Empúries, Girona, España

Registered in the Girona Business Register in Volume 3291, Folio 162, Section 8, Page 67681, 1st entry.

Contact e-mail address: info@organicstandard.com

 

USERs: Access and/or use of this portal of Biocertificacion, SL attributes the condition of USER, who accepts, from said access and/or use, the General Conditions of Use reflected herein. The aforementioned Conditions shall be applicable independently of the General Contracting Conditions which, where applicable, are mandatory.

 

Use of the portal: www.lafertilidaddelatierra.com provides access to a multitude of information, services, programmes or data (hereinafter, “the content”) on the Internet belonging to Biocertificacion, SL or its licensors, to which the USER may have access. The USER assumes responsibility for the use of the portal. This responsibility extends to the registration that may be necessary to access certain services or contents. In such registration, the USER shall be responsible for providing truthful and lawful information. As a consequence of this registration, the USER will have a password for which he/she will be responsible, undertaking to use it diligently and confidentially.

 

The USER undertakes to make appropriate use of the content and services (such as contact forms or newsgroups) that Biocertificacion, SL offers through its portal and, by way of example but not limitation, to:

  1. Take full responsibility for the comment you submit.
  2. Use this function only for lawful purposes.
  3. Not post defamatory, abusive, offensive, racist, sexist, threatening, vulgar, obscene, hateful or otherwise inappropriate material, and not post comments that would constitute a criminal or civil liability offence.
  4. Not post or make publicly available any material that is protected by copyright, trademark or other proprietary right without the express permission of the owner of the copyright, trademark or other proprietary right.
  5. Self-assess the accuracy of any opinion, advice or other content.

 

Biocertificacion, SL reserves the right to remove all comments and contributions that violate the respect for the dignity of the person, that are discriminatory, xenophobic, racist, pornographic, that violate youth or childhood, public order or safety or that, in its opinion, are not appropriate for publication. In any case, Biocertificacion, SL shall not be responsible for the opinions expressed by USERs through forums, chats or other participation tools.

 

Use of cookies and file activity: The provider itself, or through a third party contracted to provide measuring services, may employ cookies when a USER navigates the Website. Cookies are files sent to the browser by a web server for the purpose of recording the USER’s activities while navigating.

 

The cookies used by the Website are solely associated with an anonymous USER and computer, and do not themselves provide any personal information about the USER.

The cookies make it possible for the server where the Website resides, to recognise a USER´s browser in order to make navigating easier, allowing, for example, USERs who have previously registered to access areas, services, promotions or contests, exclusively reserved for them, without it being necessary for them to register every time they visit. The cookies are also used to measure audience and traffic parameters and monitor progress and the number of entries.

 

The USER has the option to set up his or her navigator to receive a warning when receiving cookies and to prevent them from being installed on their computer.

Please, read your browser instructions and manuals for more information.

When using the Website, it is not necessary for the USER to allow the installation of cookies sent by the Website, or third parties acting on behalf of the holder of the Website, notwithstanding that it is then necessary for the USER to log in as such in each service that requires prior registration or login.

The USER may find more information about the use of our cookies at the following link: https://organicstandard.com/cookies-policy/

 

Links: In the event that the domain name contains links or hyperlinks to other Internet sites, Biocertificacion, SL shall not exercise any type of control over said sites and content. Under no circumstances shall Biocertificacion, SL assume any responsibility for the contents of any link belonging to an external website, nor shall it guarantee the technical availability, quality, reliability, accuracy, comprehensiveness, veracity, validity and constitutionality of any material or information contained in any of these hyperlinks or other Internet sites. Likewise, the inclusion of these external connections does not imply any type of association, merger or participation with the connected entities.

 

Data protection policy: Biocertificacion, SL, with CIF B01665637, is responsible for the processing of personal data provided on this Website. In compliance with Organic Law 3/2018 of 5 December, Biocertificacion, SL processes the information you provide in order to provide the service requested and to invoice your subscription. The data provided will be kept for as long as the commercial relationship is maintained, or for the time necessary to comply with legal obligations and meet any possible liabilities that may arise from the fulfilment of the purpose for which the data was collected. The data will not be transferred to third parties except in cases where there is a legal obligation.

 

You have the right to obtain confirmation as to whether we are processing your personal data and therefore have the right to access your personal data, rectify inaccurate data or request its deletion when the data is no longer necessary, by writing to us at the following address: Carrer Arenal 7, 17486, Castelló d´Empúries, Girona or at the e-mail address info@organicstandard.com, attaching a copy of your ID card or equivalent document. Likewise, and especially if you consider that you have not obtained full satisfaction in the exercise of your rights, you may lodge a complaint with the national supervisory authority by contacting the Spanish Data Protection Agency, C/ Jorge Juan, 6 – 28001 Madrid.

 

Intellectual and industrial property: Biocertificacion, SL itself or as assignee, is the owner of all intellectual and industrial property rights of its Website, as well as of the elements contained therein (including but not limited to images, sound, audio, video, software or texts, trademarks or logos, colour combinations, structure and design, selection of materials used, computer programs necessary for its operation, access and use, etc.), owned by Biocertificacion, SL or its licensors.

 

All rights reserved: By virtue of the provisions of articles 8 and 32.1, second paragraph, of the Intellectual Property Law, the reproduction, distribution and public communication, including making available all or part of the contents of this Website, for commercial purposes, in any medium and by any technical means, without the authorisation of Biocertificacion, SL, are expressly prohibited. The USER undertakes to respect the Intellectual and Industrial Property rights owned by Biocertificacion, SL.

The unauthorised use of the information contained in this Website, its resale, as well as the infringement of the Intellectual Property Rights of Biocertificacion, SL will give rise to the liabilities established by law.

 

Exemption from liability: Under no circumstances shall Biocertificacion, SL, its directors and/or agents, employees and, in general, authorised personnel be liable for any kind of damage, loss, claims or expenses of any kind, whether they arise, directly or indirectly, from the use and/or dissemination of the Website or the information acquired or accessed by or through it, or its computer viruses, operational failures or interruptions in service or transmission or line failures in the use of the web, whether by direct connection or by link or other means, constituting for all legal purposes a warning to any USER that these possibilities and events may occur.

 

Modifications: Biocertificacion, SL reserves the right to make any modifications it deems appropriate to its portal without prior notice, being able to change, delete or add both the contents and services provided through the same and the way in which they are presented or located on its portal.

 

Right of exclusion: Biocertificacion, SL reserves the right to deny or withdraw access to the portal and/or the services offered without prior notice, at its own request or at the request of a third party, to those USERs who do not comply with these General Conditions of Use.

 

Modification of the present conditions and duration: Biocertificacion, SL may modify at any time the conditions determined here and being duly published as they appear here. The validity of the aforementioned conditions will depend on their exposure and will be in force until they are modified by others and duly published.

 

Applicable law and jurisdiction: The relationship between Biocertificacion, SL and the USER shall be governed by current Spanish legislation and any dispute shall be submitted to the Courts and Tribunals of the city of Almería, Spain.

 

COOKIES POLICY

Our website uses “cookies”, which are small text files installed on the user’s computer.  This information is obtained automatically without the user’s personal intervention. It is not associated to personal information, and there is no possibility that THE ORGANIC STANDARD can personally process navigation data.

Depending on the purpose for which the data that is obtained from the ‘cookies’ is processed, the website may use:

Technical ‘Cookies’

These ‘cookies’ allow the user to navigate the web page or application and also the use of different options or services that exist in it. For example, control traffic and data communication, identify the session, access restricted areas of the web, remember the elements that make up an order, carry out the application for registration or participation in an event, use security elements while browsing and store contents for the dissemination of videos or sound.

Personalization ‘Cookies’

These ‘cookies allow the user to access the service with some general predefined characteristics on their terminal or that the user him/herself defines. For example, the language, the type of browser being used to access the service, the design of selected content, the geolocation of the terminal and the regional configuration from where the service is accessed.

 Statistical Analysis ‘Cookies’

These ‘cookies’ allow tracking and analysis of user behavior on websites. The information collected through these types of ‘cookies’ is used in measuring website, application or platform activity, and for creating user navigation profiles on said sites, in order to implement improvements in the service based on users’ usage data.

Third Party ‘Cookies’

On some websites, third party ‘cookies’ can be installed which allow the management and improvement of the services offered, such as Google Analytics statistical services.

We use our own cookies from WooCommerce for:

  • Remembering the language of the visitor, in order to avoid having to select it again each time they visit the website.
  • Improving and facilitating the navigation of our website.

We use third party cookies for: 

  • Analysing user navigation for statistical reasons.

The application that we use to obtain and analyse navigation data is Google Analytics. More information at: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/  and their privacy policy at: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en

To allow, understand, block or eliminate the cookies installed on your computer, you can do this by configuring the navigator options installed on your computer. 

Our cookies do not contain any personal identification information. In any case, the user may avoid the generation of cookies by selecting the corresponding option on their navigation program.  

THE ORGANIC STANDARD
An international bi-monthly journal that enables individuals and organisations to keep up-to-date on development concerning worldwide standards and certification issues in the organic sector.
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WELCOME TO

THE ORGANIC STANDARD (TOS)

The Organic Standard is an international bi-monthly journal that enables individuals and organisations to keep up-to-date on development concerning worldwide standards and certification issues in the organic sector.

The first issue of The Organic Standard (TOS) was published in 2000, and for almost 20 years it provided the organic community with much needed news, analysis, insight and guidance on global organic regulatory, standards and control issues.  The Organic Standard was relaunched in February 2023, via a partnership between The Alliance for Organic Integrity and the TOS editors, Biocertificación S.L. 

The organisations recognized the gap for an information resource that reports on timely issues affecting organic integrity and the organic control community: The Organic Standard aims to fill this gap, providing the information needed to help Strengthen Organic Assurance, Globally.

The journal has a growing number of subscribers representing certification bodies, standard setters, sector bodies, governments, consultancies and industry. It has become widely recognised as the credible source of international news and analysis for organic standards setting, certification, regulation and accreditation. The journal has different sections such as Certification & accreditation, Standards & regulation, Updates and opinion, Country focus reports among others.

The April issue of Organic standard is being distributed;  order your subscription and stay informed.

The Four Principles of Organic Agriculture | IFOAM

The Principles of Health, Ecology, Fairness, and care 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.
Principle of Health: Organic agriculture should sustain and enhance the health of soil, plant, animal, human and planet as one and indivisible.
Principle of Ecology: Organic agriculture should be based on living ecological systems and cycles, work with them, emulate them and help sustain them.
Principle of Fairness: Organic agriculture should build on relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the common environment and life opportunities.
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.

NEWS

The Philippines and Organic Rice Production

The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a land area of 300,000 sq. km. . Rice, which accounts for 35% of the average calorie intake of the population, is one of the major crops and is cultivated in an area of about 40,600 km (or 13.62% of the total land area). In addition, the rice industry has the highest labour absorption (11.5 million farmers) among the sub-sectors of Philippine agriculture .

The Philippine organic rice industry is in its infancy, as organic rice production covers about 0.35% (14,209 ha) of the total land area, with 34,990 farmers. The primary movers consist of development organisations that are working towards the goal of alleviating poverty among marginalised farming communities. The production systems and quality definitions for ‘organic rice’ vary from one group to another.

Among the challenges of organic rice production are a drop in yield during conversion, the limited support for organic production, a lack of production financing and that only a handful of organisations are involved in marketing. Philippine organic rice has also yet to be labeled as ‘organic’ because the functional definition for the product is not clear. In the global market, Philippine organic rice is not very competitive because (1) there is no local agency (with a commanding presence worldwide) to monitor and evaluate local certifying bodies for organic rice production, and (2) the policy environment of the country as a whole is not supportive of organic rice commercialisation. Lastly, there are issues regarding land rights, as land ownership and stewardship in the country remains a challenge for small family farmers. Add to these challenges the vulnerability of the country to climate change, and farmers are left to deal with complex and unpredictable changes in weather patterns.

If you want to read more, subscribe to our newsletter.

New organic grower group regulations pose challenges and opportunities ahead

Most organic-certified producers around the world are certified as part of producer groups (PGs) – 2.6 million producers in 5900 organisations in 58 countries, based on data from F. Meinshausen et al (2018). The strategy for grower group certification started around the 1980s in Oaxaca, Mexico, with producer groups such as UCIRI, and certification agencies such as Naturland and OCIA. This is the only system that renders third-party certification accessible for smallholders around the world.
For many years, group certification, although accepted by the main organic markets (the European Union and the United States), was not clearly described in their regulations until recently. For the European market, it is now included in the Regulation (EU) 2018/848, and for the USA market, the Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule of the National Organic Program (SOE NOP) published recently and in force from 19 March 2024. Until now, guidance such as the NOSB 2002 & 2008, as well as policy memos, were used to control the certification in these organisations around the world. It is important to mention that grower groups were included in the national organic regulations of most producing countries in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. In Costa Rica, as an example, it has been included since 1997, and it was accepted in the equivalent agreement as a third country with the EU in April 2002.

If you want to read more, subscribe to our newsletter

Australian consumers demand controls in the organic market

The Organic Consumers Association of Australia (OCAA) is a non-profit organisation, founded in May 2019 and dedicated to maintaining and enhancing ethical and quality standards in the Australian organic food industry.

Most issues in Australian organics arise because Australia does not have any domestic regulation for organic products. The National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce is used to control exports of organic produce, and in the absence of any other controls, it has become a default domestic standard, but it has no legal status in the domestic market.

In 2007, during hearings for a major organic fraud case about the sale of eggs, the magistrate said he could not use the National Standard to determine the ‘organicness’ of the produce, because its application was limited to exports. However, he could determine that the logo of the certification body NASAA had been misused. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) imposed a fine of about $AU270,000 for the fraud, and $AU54,000 of these funds were directed to NASAA because its label had been infringed. The remainder of the funds were used by the Organic Federation of Australia (now replaced as the peak body for the sector by Organic Industries Australia) to produce an Australian Standard, the AS6000 for Organic and Biodynamic Produce, which came into effect in 2009.

The AS6000 can be used by Australian courts to define what is ‘organic’, but it is not mandatory. Australian consumer law is generally regarded as strong and able to deal with most food labelling issues, but without a specific budget to detect and act upon false and misleading claims, consumer authorities conduct no regular surveillance of the organic market.

Lack of domestic regulation has resulted in confusion from producers, processors, traders, and consumers about which standard applies, how to read certification labels, and who is responsible. That confusion is threatening to undermine consumer confidence in organic, especially when there is now a barrage of new voluntary standards confronting consumers and competing with organic logos.

If you want to read more, subscribe to our newsletter.

Major changes in US organic regulations on the horizon

After years of work, and receiving and reviewing thousands of pages of public comment, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the long-awaited Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) final rule on 19 January, 2023. This behemoth of a rule – 282 pages in length – is the biggest change to the US organic regulations since the creation of the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) by statute in 1990. The rule closes gaps in current regulations and clarifies or defines consistent practices to detect and prevent fraud, improve the transparency and traceability of organic products across the supply chain, and protect organic integrity. Organic stakeholders and supply chain participants must comply with the new requirements by 19 March, 2024. This includes operations that are not currently required to be certified, but will be required to become certified as a result of this rule.

Overview of the SOE:

What does the SOE rule do? It clarifies and creates regulations intended to reduce fraud in the organic marketplace; strengthens the oversight of organic producers, handlers and certifiers; and improves the USDA’s enforcement mechanisms. Its goal is to boost the integrity of the global organic market, bolster consumer confidence in the USDA organic seal, and transform the oversight and enforcement of organic production worldwide. NOP officials have stated that this rule is needed because organic supply chains have become increasingly complex, reducing transparency in the market and leading to documented cases of organic fraud and gaps in oversight.

The rule impacts most, if not all, entities in organic supply chains that touch the United States – from certifiers and inspectors; to commodity brokers, traders, importers and exporters; to producers and processors. The rule creates stronger tools and processes that help ensure compliance; implement robust and consistent enforcement of the organic regulations; improve farm to market traceability; enhance consumer and farmer trust in the USDA organic label; and create a level playing field for organic farms and businesses.

If you want to read more, subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe to our magazine

An annual subscription includes 6 issues per year, sent bi-monthly directly to your inbox. Group subscriptions are available if sharing with 5+ individuals within an organisation

Organic farming

‘The health of soil, plant, animal and man is one and indivisible’.
                                                                     Lady Eve Balfour

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CONTRIBUTIONS

If you would like to contribute an article, please contact us at: news@organicstandard.com to discuss your proposal and for signing  the TOR for contributors.

© 2023 The Organic Standard © Organic Assignments C.B. Designed: Arantxa Abad by Modo Creativo

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SUBSCRIPTIONS

The Organic Standard Journal (TOS) has an annual subscription that includes 6 issues per year, sent bi-monthly directly to your inbox. Group subscriptions are available if sharing with 5+ individuals within an organisation.

You are very welcome to the international family of TOS´s readers.