Organic Farming in Europe and the European Union

In some countries in Europe,organic farmers’ associations had already formulated their privatestandards and labeling schemes long before national regulations came into force. The first international standards by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements were published by IFOAM in 1980 based on the private organic standards that existed at that time.

The promotion of these standards with their quality marks or logos, such as in the UK, Sweden and Switzerland, are trusted by consumers and are one of the reasons for the current boom in the market for organic products in these countries.

These quality marks can be viewed via the IFOAM Membership directory, which is available on the IFOAM homepage (only the marks of IFOAM members).

The www.oekoregelungen.de homepage lists the private standards in selected countries as well as the private logos of selected countries.

Compared to national regulations, private standards are developed from the bottom up rather than imposed from above. However, since the implementation of national regulations, private standards have been forced to comply, and state authorities are increasingly making decisions on standards decisions as opposed to farmers’ associations.

In 2002, UNCTAD, the FAO and IFOAM initiated the International Task Force on Harmonization and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture ITF. This partnership between the private organic community and the United Nations offers a forum for public and private discussions, and aims to initiate the development of a constructive and effective partnership between the private and the public sector.

The IFOAM Basic Standards for Organic Production and Processing (IBS)

The Basic Standards for Organic Production and Processing (IBS) of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) were first published in 1980. Since then they have been subject to biennial / triannual review and republication. Together withe the IFOAM Accreditation Criteria for Certification of Organic Production and Processing (IAC) they constitute the IFOAM Norms and are thus the basic pillars of the IFOAM Guarantee System.

The IFOAM Organic Guarantee System assures organic integrity internationally. In the rapidly growing environment of marketing and trade of products claiming to be "organic," IFOAM provides a market guarantee of the integrity of organic claims. The Organic Guarantee System (OGS) unites the organic world through a common system of standards, verification, and market identity. It fosters equivalence among participating certifiers, paving the way for more orderly and reliable trade.

The IFOAM Basic Standards address the principles, recommendations, and required baseline standards that guide operators in producing their organic crops and maintaining organic integrity in the further handling and processing of organic commodities. The IFOAM Basic Standards have been developed to comply with the ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Setting Social and Environmental Standards.

The IFOAM Accreditation Criteria 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. IFOAM owns and develops these documents.

The IFOAM Norms have an impact beyond the IFOAM Organic Guarantee System. IFOAM's Basic Standards and Accreditation Criteria are generally respected as the international guideline from which national standards and inspection systems may be built; and they have been used as a reference by standard-setters and legislators in national and international arenas. Within the Organic Guarantee System, IFOAM provides a mechanism for the approval of other standards that are consistent with the IFOAM Basic Standards.

The IFOAM Accreditation Program

The IFOAM Accreditation Program is a service offered to certification bodies. IFOAM accreditation is awarded to certification bodies that use certification standards that meet the IFOAM Basic Standards. Secondly, the certification body itself must demonstrate compliance with theIFOAM Accreditation Criteria.

Key players in the IFOAM Accreditation Program are IFOAM, the International Organic Accreditation Service (IOAS) and the IFOAM Accredited Certification Bodies (ACBs).

IFOAM accreditation is carried out under contract by the International Organic Accreditation Service Inc. (IOAS), a US based organization. IOAS accepts and reviews accreditation applications, conducts site evaluations, and grants IFOAM accreditation to compliant applicants.

The Accredited Certification Bodies have implemented a Multilateral Agreement (MLA) amongst themselves. The MLA creates multilateral equivalence at the level of the Accreditation Criteria and the IFOAM Basic Standards. Implementation of the MLA streamlines certificate acceptance among the certification bodies, and thus helps to support and ensure orderly market transactions and trade. As an initiative that is administered by the ACBs, the MLA also supports the objectives of the IFOAM Organic Guarantee System.The List of IFOAM Accredited Certification Bodies can be downlaoded from the website of the IOAS.

Info / Links

Information Resources

Organic Rules Archive: Private Standards and Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 Compared

As part of the European Organic Revision project a an organic standards database on the internet has been established. The database, which is available at www.organicrules.org, is now being filled with information on differences between European organic standards and EU regulation 2092/91.

Internet site www.oekoregelungen.de: Information on state regulations, private standards and logos

Since October 10, 2005, the portal www.oekoregelungen.de has been online. The site, which is part of the Central Internet Portal www.oekolandbau.de, presents information on organic regulations, private standards, logos and inspection bodies for most European countries as well as for South Africa, the Unites States and Argentina. The information is, however, available in German only. The project is funded under the German Federal Organic Farming Scheme BOEL.

Forschungsinstitut fuer biologischen Landbau (FiBL) , Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
Ackerstrasse, CH-5070 Frick
Tel: +41-62-865 72 72 Fax:+41-62-865 72 73
Internet http://www.fibl.ch

Organic Farming Standards