CCOF International Programs
CCOF offers a variety of services to ensure your products
are recognized as organic on the world stage. CCOF is IFOAM
accredited and offers verification to Europe’s EEC 2092/91
standard, the MAFF/USDA Export Arrangement (Japan) and other national
requirements in addition to certification to IFOAM requirements. CCOF currently maintains IOAS Accreditation and USDA AMS accreditatieon under ISO Guide 65. IOAS has also approved CCOF's GMA program as equivelent to EEC 2092/91.
BREAKING NEWS-CANADIAN ORGANIC STANDARDS
As of June, 2008 CCOF is listed as one of a small group of US certifiers who have attained preliminary accrediation under the Canadian Organic Standards, which come into effect December 14, 2008. Visit www.ccof.org/canada.php for more information.
Confused about exports? Visit CCOF's Certification FAQ & explore the section called “Export Questions” for more information how you can successfully export your product to the European Union, Japan, Switzerland, and beyond.
In response to client needs and international trade situations, CCOF has revamped its CCOF International program and renamed it CCOF Global Market Access. This new program expands CCOF's existing program to facilitate increased access to international markets. Clients in the current CCOF International program are not required to re-apply.
Download CCOF's Manual III: Global Market Access Program to learn more about the program, foreign standards, read FAQs, and more. On 08/14/08 CCOF withdrew livestock certification from the IFOAM accreditation program. For more information please visit our Updates/Resources page.
Application Forms:
PDF Versions: GMA-Grower | GMA-Handler | GMA-Livestock
E-Form Versions: GMA-Grower | GMA-Handler | GMA-Livestock
Under the GMA program CCOF provides:
- Additional services and benefits.
- European Union Organic Standard EEC 2092/91 equivelency certification and certificates. This is helps CCOF clients achieve streamlined access to European Union markets either as direct exporters or as ingredient suppliers. CCOF clients will be able to demonstrate EEC 2092/91 compliance quickly to current and prospective buyers during marketing and sales efforts.
- An IFOAM accredited organic certification meeting the IFOAM basic standards. This will allow CCOF clients to demonstrate compliance to IFOAM when required by buyers, foreign governments, or other parties.
- CCOF's Global Market Access program will review operations to both EEC and IFOAM standards and issue certificates for all standards met by the operations.
- Global Market Access will allow CCOF clients to demonstrate that they meet the highest organic standards recognized both domestically and internationally.
- CCOF will only review those requirements that differ from USDA NOP requirements, effectively simplifying the process for you, the client.
- Additional verification services for organic standards and trade agreements as needed by CCOF clients. These include the MAFF/USDA Export Arrangement with Japan and other requirements related to Quebec.
In order to provide these services and remain compliant with our IFOAM accreditation, CCOF has revised Manual III. These services, the revised manual and the standards within it will became effective on Feb. 10, 2006. While current CCOF International clients will find that very little has changed, we strongly advise that you review this manual at your earliest convenience.
Download CCOF's Manual III: Global Market Access Program
What has changed? Those of you currently certified to CCOF International Standards will find that the CCOF Global Market Access program is quite similar to previous requirements.
Minor changes to crops standards include:
- Requirements are clearly delineated between EU and IFOAM. You may elect to comply with both or either one.
- Standards for the USDA trade arrangement with Japan are unchanged.
- Parallel production is prohibited under the EU standards, see 5.6.
- Biological diversity, see 5.8, standards for IFOAM
- Water Conservation, see 5.9, standards for IFOAM
- Social Justice, see 5.12, standards for IFOAM
- Antibiotics use in crop production (fire blight control) is prohibited by EU, see 6.0 Crops production Materials.
Minor changes include to handling/processing standards include:
- All facilities that store organic product must be inspected for compliance with EEC 2092/91 see 8.6.
- Social justice standards apply to handlers, see 8.8 for IFOAM
We welcome your comments and questions. Please feel free to contact Jake Lewin, at jake@ccof.org or 831-423-2263, Ext 21. If you are advocating changes to the standards please submit your suggestions in writing so that we can take them into account more thoroughly.
CCOF appreciates your business. We look forward to being a part of your success in the organic marketplace. We hope that this improved program provides new opportunities for you in the EU and other emerging markets for organic products.
Additional CCOF International Program Information
CCOF continually monitors changing international regulations and
institutes programs, procedures and documents to ensure your continued
market access. As one of the first certifiers to achieve IFOAM accreditation
in North America, CCOF has a long history of international market
recognition and client access. We routinely deal with foreign certifiers
and governments to clarify requirements and address their concerns.
CCOF International program clients are reviewed for compliance
with a variety of international requirements and receive certification
for all standards they comply with. This ensures that should additional
verification.
IFOAM is the International Federation of Organic Agricultural
Movements, of which CCOF is an accredited member.
CCOF offers certification to CCOF International standards for those
CCOF clients who export their products or who sell raw product which
is processed into a value-added product for export. Certification
through our accredited program is only $150 per year.
IFOAM standards are unique in several areas (e.g. sodium (Chilean)
nitrate is prohibited). Please review the CCOF International standards
(Manual 3) on the Manuals page.
You can also visit IFOAM's website at www.ifoam.org.
Please call CCOF at (831) 423-2263 or email us at ccof@ccof.org
with any international organic marketplace questions. |
