The Global Perspective
on Organic Shopping

Are you doing organic shopping outside of the U.S.? The standards for organic certification and the level of government involvement varies in each country.



In fact, some organic certifying bodies do allow the use of chemicals in organic products, so you want to get familiar with the certification standards and the labeling procedures in your area before purchasing.

This article on the Organic Consumers Association website points out some recent finding of a carcinogen in products certified by OASIS and Ecocert, a French certifying organization.

Below are names of some international certifying organizations. This is not an endorsement of these certification bodies, but a list to aid you in your research.

European Union

Guidelines are covered under the EU-Eco Regulation act. Supervision of the certifying bodies happens at the national level.

Japan

The Japanese Agricultural Standard certification (JAS) is supervised by the national Ministry of Agriculture.

US

The National Organic Program is a part of national legislation. All certification is overseen by non-profit and private agencies that are approved by the USDA.

In countries where no official legislation exists, guidelines are typically established by a non-profit organization or private company. A seal of approval from such an organization may not be legally required, but it does add credibility and marketing appeal to the consumer population.

Australia

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) controls organic certification here. The government is only involved in organic certification at export.

As of 2006 there were seven AQIS approved certifying organizations, the largest of which is Australian Certified Organic, a subsidiary of Biological Farmers Australia. Australian organics are shipped worldwide primarily to the UK, France and New Zealand.

Canada

A national organic standard does exist as a guideline only. Legislation is underway. Quebec has a provincial legislation that oversees certification within the province.

China

The China Green Food Development Center awards two standards, A and AA. AA is more stringent, while A permits some use of synthetic agricultural chemicals.

India

Certification is handled by INDOCERT. They act according to rules established by the National Standards for Organic Production; which are similar to those established by the USDA National Organics Program.

Sweden

Organic certification is handled by KRAV, a private corporation

United Kingdom

Many organizations handle certification in the UK. Two of the largest are the Soil Association and Organic Framers and Growers.

International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements

(IFOAM) exists to unify the standards of organic production systems worldwide. The group gives accreditation to more than 50 member organizations in 180 countries.

A product that is IFOAM Accredited will have a second seal next to seal of the certifying organization in your country.

Source: Wikipedia.org

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