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In Mexico, organic certification has been carried out by US and European certifying agencies, meaning that producers must assign large quantities of money to pay for inspection and certification every year. These costs currently prevent new groups of smaller producers from participating in organic agriculture.
Faced with this situation and through the initiative of environmentally concious farmers and indigenous people from throughout Mexico, Certimex was created as a certification organization, originally dedicated primarily to carrying out inspections for other certifiers. In order to ensure that its certification services gain international recognition, Certimex must successfully meet the standards set by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 65). International recognition will allow Certimex to minimize its certification difficulties with outside organizations and make it possible for more producers to participate in organic agriculture.
The objectives of the project are:
- to develop and establish systems for quality in Certimex's procedures of inspection and certification in accordance with the ISO 65 guide;
and
- to obtain the accreditation of Certimex through ISO 65 and IFOAM.
Following this project, Mexico will have a certification agency at the national level, making possible the entry of its organic products into different world markets. Furthermore, other Mexican certifiers interested in pursuing the accreditation process will be able to use the documents as a model.
Certimex
Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
For more information about this grant, please contact the CEC Secretariat.
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Mexico 
