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Codex Alimentarius and Organic Agriculture
The Codex Alimentarius Commission, a joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program, began in 1991 (with participation of observer organizations such as IFOAM) with the elaboration of Guidelines for the production, processing, labelling and marketing of organically produced food. The Codex Commission approved plant production guidelines in June 1999, and animal production guidelines in July 2001.The requirements in these Codex Guidelines are in line with the IFOAM Basic Standards and the EU Regulation 2092/91. There are, however, differences with regard to the details and the areas, which are covered by the different standards. The trade guidelines on organic food take into account the current regulations in several countries, in particular EU Regulation 2092/91, as well as the private standards applied by producer organizations, especially those based on the IFOAM Basic Standards. These guidelines define the nature of organic food production and prevent claims that could mislead consumers about the quality of the product or the way it was produced. In the view of IFOAM, which was actively involved in the elaboration of these Guidelines, this Codex Document is an important step in the harmonization of international rules in order to build up consumer trust. They will be important for equivalence judgments under the rules of WTO. For developing the market for organically produced food, these Codex Guidelines are important in giving guidance to governments in developing national regulations for organic food. Since 2005 a revision process of the annex lists has started, in particular for food processing, based on amended criteria for the use of new substances. Responsible for this work is a working group within the Codex Committee for Food Labelling (CCFL), which meets regularly each year in May organised by the government of Canada. The Codex Commission has adopted the amendments of these annex lists proposed by CCFL in July 2007. In 2008 the discussion about a few and more controversial additives for food processing will continue. Text: Otto Schmid, FiBL, January 8, 2008
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The need for clear and harmonized rules has not only been taken up by private bodies, 
Forschungsinstitut
fuer biologischen Landbau (FiBL) , Research Institute of Organic Agriculture