By Chris Joyner
ajc, October 9, 2011
Acting on a tip, state environmental inspectors in February paid a surprise visit to a dairy farm in Eatonton. They found the owner pumping gallon upon...
The TDA's Organic Certification Program certifies crops produced under an organic farming system. That is, a system of ecological soil management that relies on building humus levels through crop rotations, recycling organic wastes, and applying balanced mineral amendments. When necessary, this system uses mechanical, botanical, or biological controls that have minimum adverse effects on health and the environment. In addition, organic crops are produced without the use of synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and synthetic herbicides. Upon demonstrating compliance with National Organic Standards 7 CFR Part 205, participants are entitled to use a marketing logo identifying their products as certified organic. TDA inspects and certifies producers, processors, handlers (warehouses, distributors, brokers) and retailers of organic products.
Organic Production is a system that is managed by both state and federal standards for the response to site specific conditions in the growing or processing of foods, which conditions are managed by integrated cultural, biological and mechanical practices. It is the intent of organically grown or produced products to foster the cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve bio-diversity.
This program is intended to serve producers, processors and consumers of agricultural products. The goal is to manage a process that will maintain the integrity of food products produced without the use of restricted chemical imputs.
he WSDA Organic Food Program protects consumers and supports the organic food industry by ensuring the integrity of organic food products through establishing organic standards and certifying organic producers, processors, and handlers.
The program provides technical information about organic food production and assists in the development of markets for the organic food industry.
Global Organic Alliance was established in 1997 and maintains ISO 65 and USDA accreditation and verifies compliance to EEC 2092/91 Regulation. GOA is also authorized to issue TM-11 Export Certificates to Japan. Attaining JAS accreditation is a very involved process which prevents us from speculating on the time frame when this will be achieved.
Every year the goal of GOA is to have the annual certification certificate in the hands of the certified operation within 3 weeks of receiving the inspection documents from the inspector and all required supporting documentation from the inspected operation. GOA met that goal 95% of the time in 2005, the remaining 5% may have taken 4 weeks.
