Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
proposed revisions to the IFOAM Guarantee system, perhaps enabling regional certification
standards to be adopted based on a generic IFOAM Standards norm.
A further tool that was developed to build f flexibility into IFOAM standards-setting proc-
esses is the development of Criteria for Variation. It is acknowledged by IFOAM that 'there
may be conditions where climatic, geographical, technical problems as well as economic, regu-
latory or cultural factors may require variation to IBS requirements' (IFOAM 2002).
Requests for approval of variations can be submitted to the IOAS for standards comparison
and evaluation with the final decision taken by the IFOAM World Board or designated body.
Variations may be considered if the need and necessity can be established under at least one of
the following conditions:
• the IFOAM Basic Standards (IBS) requirement is ineffective
• where it prevents the development of organic production or processing
• where it prohibits compliance to the legitimate sector regulations and product requirement
or
• where it contradicts religious or cultural beliefs of the producers and processors.
Furthermore, the variation requested must be consistent with the principal aims of the IBS
(IFOAM 2002).
The first variation to be approved was the American Organic Standard, a private sector
standard for North America developed in 2003 by the industry through the Organic Trade
Association (IOAS 2003).
The Criteria for Variation approach opens a procedural window to allow for a review of
specific aspects of organic standards and the possible granting of exceptions where it can be
demonstrated that organic agriculture in a particular local context is best served by such
changes. Developing country organisations could use such a tool to argue for the use of partic-
ular locally acceptable inputs that serve to meet the broader principles of organic agriculture,
among other possibilities. While this has not been widely used yet within IFOAM, perhaps
because of the overwhelming and urgent need to resolve the public-private interface of organic
regulatory regimes, the approach could be useful as a specific, concrete and short-term solution
to the longer-term processes of determining equivalency of entire sets of standards and
harmonisation.
Although much work needs to be done in developing organic regulatory structures at an
international level that are truly sensitive to the needs of producers and the local realities that
they face, a harmonised standards architecture based on general baseline standards upon
which local or regional standards can be f fleshed out, along with an allowance for justified var-
iations, offer useful models and tools that can be built upon.
Ensuring smallholder access to organic guarantee systems
A specific example of the importance of considering local conditions and realities focuses on
smallholder organic production and access to markets. Smallholder producers are important
in organic agriculture and contribute significantly to the growth of organic markets. Estimates
suggest that 60% to 70% of organic products imported into Europe are produced by small-
holders (Agro Eco 2003). Without special consideration, the high financial and administrative
costs of organic certification are out of the realm of accessibility for many with only a few
hectares under production, if that. This section outlines two new developments in organic
agriculture that hold promise for ensuring that smallholders have access to organic guarantee
systems. The first is the development and increasing acceptance of internal control systems
(ICS) for organic inspection and certification, while the second is the development of partici-
patory guarantee systems.
