Interest in organic agriculture is increasing day by day in our country and in the world. Organic agriculture, which is seen as a source of access to clean food for the consumer, means a production system based on local resources for the producer. With the increase in demand, it is not easy to start an "organic agriculture" initiative, which seems like a bright idea for our farmers. There are documents to be obtained and standards to be followed. Before giving detailed information about organic farming certification, we can inform you by talking about the definition of organic farming and how it should be done.
What Does Organic Farming Mean?
Organic agriculture, which originates from the United States and European Union countries, points to the direction the world is going in the field of agriculture today. Organic farming standards are generally determined on the following items: Every stage from production to consumption is kept under control. Organic agriculture means that the produced crop is grown by following the completely natural development process. Even the field for organic farming should be free from external pollutants. Since the definition of organic agriculture is not sufficient in foreign countries, other new concepts are also used. Names such as biological or ecological agriculture can be applied. As an organic word, it refers to events related to living organisms. But every crop grown already contains organic processes in some way. For this reason, some authorities may not accept this concept as correct. However, we must underline that in our country, natural agriculture, which is far from synthetic products and factors, is called organic agriculture. Organic or non-organic fertilizers can be applied while doing organic farming. Plant-based materials can be preferred to support agricultural cultivation. Which substances are in this list are determined by the Organic Agriculture Law and the regulations based on it. The aforementioned legal regulations are in full compliance with the organic agriculture legislation accepted by the European Union. Organic farming standards regulated in Turkey are in full compliance with those in Europe today. The Regulation on the Production of Crop and Animal Agricultural Products with Ecological Methods in 1994 and the Regulation on the Principles and Practice of Organic Agriculture, which entered into force in 2002, set the standards for organic agriculture production. The main difference that distinguishes organic agriculture from traditional methods is summarized as being friendly to soil and water resources. Organic procedures, which allow farming without creating air, soil and water pollution, are seen as a necessity, not a luxury, in today's world where natural resources are rapidly depleted.
What is Organic Agriculture Certification?
Organic certification in agricultural production covers the entire process from field to table. The certification system, in which all stages are controlled, inspected through standards and gaining the trust of the consumer, is working closely in Turkey. Certification studies continue to carry out the controls required by organic agriculture standards, to evaluate the crop and to determine its suitability. Organizations that carry out control and certification are accredited within 2 years at the latest, in accordance with the TS EN ISO / IEC 17065 Conformity assessment - Conditions standard for organizations that perform product, process and service certification. Certification in organic agriculture begins with the application of the producer company to an accredited certification body. As a result of the evaluations of the organization, audits are carried out and risks and suspicious situations are evaluated. Analyzes are carried out on soil and crop samples. Evaluations made in an accredited laboratory according to the ISO 17025 standard are reported. Afterwards, the enterprise is entitled to receive an Organic Agriculture Certificate if it is deemed appropriate. The document contains all the details necessary for the traceability of the product.
How to Obtain Organic Agriculture Certificate?
Our farmers fill out a form during the application to accredited consultancy institutions. By sending the form to the organization by hand, fax or e-mail, the information is conveyed. Afterwards, the organization prepares a contract for the relevant manufacturer, opens a file number, and inspection coordination begins. Control personnel make the necessary examinations and report them. Production areas are evaluated in accordance with the regulations and principles in the field activities carried out on appropriate dates. The inspector creates reports based on the records he has taken from the activity status of the agricultural land in previous years, to the practices made, from the physical conditions of the region to the quality of the crop and risk situations. If a positive result is obtained as a result of the controls, an Organic Agriculture Entrepreneur Certificate is issued, indicating that the producer meets the organic farming conditions. Our farmers who have completed the transition process are entitled to receive the Organic Product Certificate along with the Entrepreneur Certificate. If the producer is not suitable for organic farming, the whole process can be started again, upon request, by making an official notification with a negative certification decision letter. By completing the reported deficiencies, it is possible to progress the re-application process and obtain an organic agriculture certificate.
What are Organic Agriculture Certificate Processes?
The first step in the organic certification process is adaptation to nature. Planning the agricultural production activity in harmony with the ecological balance, choosing the appropriate crops, not harming the wildlife, supporting the facility and the natural life constitute the first principle. Waste management and renewable energy supply are important in organic plant and animal production. Self-sufficiency of production with internal resources is the second principle. Sustainability is the third principle. It is considered necessary to implement crop rotations, protect biodiversity, and use economical production and management methods. It is necessary not to use harmful chemicals, drugs, additives and to avoid residues in agricultural production. Suitability for human, soil, nature and animal health is seen as the fourth principle. Compliance with agricultural production standards, transparency and recording of processes, control and documentation of every stage constitute the last principle. Our farmers, who produce in compliance with these principles, can obtain Organic Agriculture Certificate through certification bodies. After the application, the preliminary examination and contract proposal process is started. After the approved contract, steps are taken for certification. If all phases of document and information collection and research processes are positive, a document is prepared.
What are the Requirements for Obtaining Organic Agriculture Certificate?
An application is made to the Control and Certification Organization by planning which type of organic production in how much and how. Farmers can apply individually as well as producer companies, unions, cooperatives, individuals and legal entities. Persons or institutions make a statement to the applied institution by filling out a form. The special contract prepared according to the declaration is submitted to the approval of the party. After the signing of the contract prepared for the review, the processes for obtaining the Organic Agriculture Certificate are continuing. The relevant application form includes questions such as the tax number, identity information of the responsible person, and the distance to the nearest airport to the land. Whether there is a certificate applied before and the result is explained in the form that is reported to the institution. Information about the location and location of the business is shared with the institution.
