the world of organic agriculture - Organic Eprints

11 The Contribution of Organic Farming to Sustainable Development
The organic movement mobilizes new forces and partnerships
Developing organic farmers’ organizations, standards, certification systems, extension services,
education, research and markets brings producers together in a new manner. Such communities
and partnerships are in a stronger position to demand and assert their rights and to maintain or
improve their economic position.
Picture 6: India is already
exporting a range of organic
products like tea, spices, cotton,
rice etc. And the Indian domestic
market is promising, even though
it is still very small. In order to
gain consumers’ confidence, valid
certification is an essential prerequisite
for marketing. In 2001
a group of organizations and
corporate bodies took the initiative
to set up – in co-operation with
FiBL and and the inspection body
bio.inspecta – the Indian Organic
Certification Agency INDOCERT.
It became an important element of
the organic movement in India and mobilises new forces and partnerships. INDOCERT is now fully accredited
to certify based on EU regulation 2092/01, Eurepgap 2 and private label standards. Photograph Samuel Moser,
FiBL
2 EurepGAP started in 1997 as an initiative of retailers belonging to the Euro-Retailer Produce Working Group (EUREP).
It has subsequently evolved into an equal partnership of agricultural producers and their retail customers. Their mission
is to develop widely accepted standards and procedures for the global certification of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
Technically speaking EurepGAP is a set of normative documents suitable to be accredited to internationally recognized
certification criteria such as ISO Guide 65. Representatives from around the globe and all stages of the food chain have been
involved in the development of these documents. Through wide consultation an achievable protocol, which farmers around
the world can use to demonstrate compliance with Good Agricultural Practices, was produced. It is possible for producer
organizations to seek an independent and transparent recognition of equivalence with the EurepGAP standards and procedures.
Information is available from the EuroGAP homepage at http://www.eurepgap.org/
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