Certification
Organic certification involves a rigorous set of standards governing all aspects of production, including cultivation, storage, processing, packaging, and distribution includes prohibition of synthetic chemicals (including fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and food additives) as well as genetically modified organisms, maintenance of comprehensive, written records of production and sales ensuring a transparent audit trail and also physical segregation of organic products from non-certified products to prevent contamination and ensure integrity.
Purpose of Certification
The primary objective of certification is to ensure compliance with the National Standards for Organic Production (NSOP), thereby guaranteeing the authenticity and quality of organic products for consumers.
Certification systems
India has two organic certification systems, both grounded in national standards, but differing in their verification and documentation methodologies.
- National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) for export
- Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India) for domestic and local markets.
NPOP certification
The National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) provides Standards for organic production, systems, criteria and procedure for accreditation of Certification Bodies, the National (India Organic) Logo and the regulations governing its use. The standards and procedures have been formulated in harmony with other International Standards regulating import and export of organic products. The National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) also provides an institutional mechanism for the implementation of National Standards for Organic Production (NSOP).
Connect with Certification Bodies (CBs)