Enhancing Organic Integrity

(1)

Enhancing Organic Integrity

(2)

The Global Organic Integrity Platform

A real-time worldwide source of certification data.

An information hub for increasing transparency and organic

integrity along the supply chain.

Check Organic complements organic certification schemes,

as well as companies’ sourcing and quality assurance

(3)

ENHANCING GLOBAL INTEGRITY – Check Organic

is an internet-based data platform for publishing global certification

information and related services.

is a tool to verify certificates and certification data in real-time and along the

supply chain.

captures and provides accurate and reliable certification data from

participating certification bodies.

offers an extensive toolbox to verify and connect data according to the user’s

needs, such as certification status, certificates, products, volumes, operations,

responsible certifier, etc.

supports organic integrity checks by providing and linking real-time

certification data.

(4)

History I: pre-regulation (before 1991)

Organic farmers‘ associations defined standards and

introduced „verification“ systems implemented by:

Farmer by farmer (social control by neighbours and village)

Consultants

Consumers buying off farm (social control)

First external „inspections“ targeting about 10% of operators

complementing the above

(5)

History II: regulatory definition (1991 – to date)

Regulations define standards and inspection/certification

system (process certification)

First phase: every operator involved in the product chain has

to be inspected/certified; import conformity

Second phase: definition of risk assessment, residue

analyses, and other more detailed rules; import conformity

and equivalence

(6)

Future: regulatory definition

Process inspection/certification will be complemented by

product inspection/certification

Increased mandatory risk assessment

Increased mandatory residue analyses

Import compliance and equivalence

EU (under discussion): definition by food and inspection

regulations with exemptions where necessary for organic

Production and manufacturing standards with less/no

(7)

No fraud as result of this tightening up?

The organic surveillance and certification system is comprehensively

regulated but is weak when it comes to preventing and detecting fraud.

• Lack of integrity tools is a permanent source for fraud

• Today’s trading relies on paper or PDF certificates which are sent prior to a

physical movement of a product or signing of a trading contract.

• There is no possibility for the buyer to verify whether or not the certificate is valid

at this very moment.

−

Has it been withdrawn recently?

−

Is the product covered by the scope of the certificate?

(8)

Benefits for traders/processors

Accurate, up-to-date information is available in real time

All information is verifiable

Information is accessible 24 hours, 7 days, independent of office working hours

and time zone

User friendly search portal ensures basic certification information can be found

quickly

Current supplier certificate file systems can be replaced by using the electronic

data platform

Businesses can get more detailed information about certified operations

A comprehensive toolbox can be integrated in the users‘ processes

Certification data can be verified in real-time „with a mouse click“, saves time –

and hence reduces costs

Additional features, such as ability to connect to the companies‘ Enterprise

Resource Planning system (ERP)

(9)

Benefits for Certification Bodies

No more faxing or copying paper certificates; all certification data needed can be

viewed and printed from online source

Online certificates of any third party can be verified at any time globally, simply

by logging in, e.g. for inspectors during the audit

Certificates cannot be altered by sellers or buyers as they are available in

real-time from the database

time from the database

Strengthening of CBs‘ reputation and relevance if their respective operator

certificates can be found and validated online

Data transfer is simple and supported by Check Organic tools, e.g. Web-services,