certification

Gerald Hermann, a pioneer in the organic sector (he was president of Naturland and IFOAM, today he is director of Organic Services, and is known worldwide as one of the leading experts in the organic agri-industry) publishes a reflection on the sector that has been shattered by various scandals on national and international levels. The bigger the scandals, the more dramatic the consequences for the countries of origin, which brings about huge shifts in international commodity flows, as import and export figures indicate.

The organic sector is in the Philippines regulated by the Republic Act 10068 approved in 2010. The law has supported the growing of organic agriculture in the country. However, its section 17 only allows third party certification to be labelled as “organic”. This presents very high, unsustainable costs for small producers in the country.

Voluntary standards of sustainability are increasing worldwide: this is the statement of the new report "The State of Sustainable Markets 2018 - Statistics and Emerging Trends", drawn up by FIBL, the Swiss Research Institute on Organic Agriculture, together with the IISD, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, and ITC, the Center for International Trade. The report outlines data on global production volumes and areas, as well as certified producers, for 14 major Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS ).

NOP: Organic integrity in the supply chain

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP) protects the integrity of USDA organic products throughout the world, so consumers can trust the organic label.

Consumers are protected by a global organic control system that includes: strict standards; certifier accreditation; farm and business certification and enforcement. Accredited certifiers, inspectors, and organic handlers play a vital role in protecting the integrity of organic products from farm to market in complex supply chains.