the world of organic agriculture - Organic Eprints

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The World of Organic Agriculture 2006
Table 23: Number of certification bodies per accreditation system 2003 - 2005
total
approval
ifoam japan iso 65 eu usa
Africa 7 3
Asia 117 4 69 5 1 2
Europe 157 14 16 69 129 34
Latin America & Caribbean 43 4 1 13 5 10
North America 84 5 8 20 0 65
Oceania 11 4 6 3 8 4
Sum 2005 419 31 100 113 143 115
Sum 2004 385 30 95 96 132 112
Sum 2003
Source: Grolink
364 26 81 74 112 106
Of interest is the fact that 107 of the listed organizations do not have any of the five highlighted
accreditation/approvals. Whilst the ISO 65 often is seen as a universal norm for certification
just a little more than one fourth of the organizations report that they are accredited to ISO 65.
The Organic Standard does not verify the claims of ISO 65 accreditation and the real number is
probably lower. Only five organizations have all the five approvals.
10.3 The IFOAM Accreditation Program
The International Organic Accreditation Service (IOAS) is a non-profit independent organization
registered in Delaware, USA that offers international oversight of organic certification, through a
voluntary accreditation process for certification bodies active in the field of organic agriculture.
The IOAS implements the IFOAM Accreditation Program, which is an industry based global
guarantee of organic integrity, unburdened by national barriers and implemented by one body
that has no other interests.
Under this program, applicant certification bodies are assessed against the IFOAM Norms - the
Criteria for Certification Bodies and the IFOAM Basic Standards. The assessment includes both
a review of the certification body’s documentation and an on-site visit to evaluate the quality
of the certification body’s performance. Once a certification body is compliant with these
requirements, it is awarded IFOAM accreditation by the IOAS. Continued compliance is assured
through an annual surveillance system that includes yearly visits to the office of the certification
body and, where appropriate, visits to foreign offices and operators.
Further information about the IFOAM Accreditation Program and IOAS can be found at the
IOAS website 4 .
4 IOAS website http://www.ioas.org/; information about the IFOAM Accreditation Program http://www.ioas.org/WEB-
SITE/0410_About_IOAS.htm