Organic Farming Methods: Certification

The certification process to become recognized as fully-organic in Costa Rica is both intense and lengthy. When we toured La Bella Tica, Oldemar told us a little about the certification process that he had to go through to be able to be a certified organic, shade grown coffee farm.  It is a long and gruelling process for him.  He is certified through Ecologica and he had to take part in many steps to be able to be certified.  Oldemar said he had people on his farm every few weeks to check what was in his soil, to count the amount of planted crops vs wild, and to check the overall status of his operation.  In addition to being checked in on for many weeks to show that he was not putting inorganic substances into his farm, Oldemar had to keep a very detailed list of what he planted, what fertilizers he used, and everything that went on in the daily workings of his farm.  Also, there is a fee that the farm as a whole needs to pay to be able to be certified organic.  This can cost between 400-2000 dollars yearly according to the USDA.  Overall, becoming organically certified can be a long and hard process to complete as becoming certified takes many months filled with hard work, detailed notes, and numerous visits from agents to inspect your farm. However, once certification is given, farming organically has many health benefits to those who consume your product and the ecosystems that come in contact with the farm.

Here are some guidelines about what cannot be found on a farm that is organically certified:  There can be absolutely no human excretions that come in contact with the farm or the use of synthetic chemicals.  There can be no GMO’s (genetically modified organism). The land that is being farmed must have had to prohibited chemicals for at least 3 years.
In addition to these substances being barred from the farm, the farm also must keep detailed notes of what is happening on the farm and allow visits from agents to inspect the farm every so often.

Here is an overview of what needs to happen for a farm to become organically certified

• Compliance – farm facilities and production methods must comply with the standards, which may involve modifying facilities, sourcing and changing suppliers, etc.

• Documentation – extensive paperwork is required, detailing farm history and current set-up, and usually including results of soil and water tests.

• Planning – a written annual production plan must be submitted, detailing everything from seed to sale: seed sources, field and crop locations, fertilization and pest control activities, harvest methods, storage locations, etc.

• Inspection – annual on-farm inspections are required, with a physical tour, examination of records, and an oral interview.

• Fee – an annual inspection/certification fee (currently starting at $400–$2,000/year, in the US and Canada, depending on the agency and the size of the operation).

• Record-keeping – written, day-to-day farming and marketing records, covering all activities, must be available for inspection at any time.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/NOPFAQsHowCertified
http://www.ccof.org/
http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/how-to-certify-farm-as-organic.aspx#axzz30E4UOreB
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_certification