Organic certification is an accreditation process for food producers. In general, any business in the food production chain can be certified, including farmers, food processors, and seed suppliers. Requirements vary from country to country, and generally include:

In general, certified organic products are first subject to the same food safety and other government regulations that apply to all food products.

In some countries, organic standards are a matter of law. The US and EU both require that the term "organic" be used only by certified producers. In countries without organic legislation, government guidelines may or may not exist, while certification is carried out by private companies. Various negotiations are underway, and some agreements are already in place, to harmonize certification between countries, thus freeing up international trade.

In the US, a national standard, the National Organic Program (NOP), was enacted as federal legislation in Oct. 2002, restricting the use of the term "organic" to certified organic producers (excepting growers selling under $5,000 a year).

In Canada, there is a national organic standard, but it is a guideline only, not law. Certification is provided by various provincial and private sector organisations.

EU countries have had a comprehensive organic legislation since the early 1990s.

In the United Kingdom, organic certification is handled by a number of organizations, of which the largest are the Soil Association and Organic Farmers and Growers. All the certifying bodies are subject to the regulations of the UK Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS), which itself is bound by EU legislation.

In Sweden, organic certification is handled by the private corporation KRAV.

Purpose of Certification

Organic certification addresses growing consumer demand for an alternative to mass-produced food. "Certified organic" serves as a consumer guarantee, similar to "low fat", "100% whole wheat", "no artificial preservatives", or any number of other product announcements.

Certified organic producers are also subject to the same food safety and other government regulations that apply to non-certified producers.

Certification Issues

Organic certification is not without its critics. Some of the staunchest opponents of chemical-based farming and agribusiness practices, also oppose formal certification. To understand this argument, it must be realized that the organic food industry was built to this point mainly by small, independent farmers, to whom organic farming is both an agricultural method and an environmental philosphy. As the market grows, formal certification is seen as a way for agribusiness interests to manipulate the regulations to create "legally organic" product, by using the same large-scale, "unnatural" methods they currently employ. In turn, small operators will be burdened by increasing certification-related paperwork, bureacracy and added expense, and distribution channels will favor large producers.