Organic Farming: National Standards For Organic Production (NSOP)

National Standards For Organic Production

Section-3 of the NPOP deals with the National Standards for Organic Production. Some of the important production requirements as per NSOP are:

• Genetically engineered cultivars or plant materials are not permitted in organic production.
• The seed for raising a crop should either be organically produced or if organic seed is not available, seeds from a conventional farm without any chemical treatment may be used.
• Whole farm including the livestock should be converted to the organic method in a step-by-step manner. If the whole farm is not converted, the certification program should ensure that the organic and conventional parts of the farm are separate and inspectable.
• Farms under conversion to ‘Organic‘ should be subjected to inspection by the accredited inspection body to ensure getting certified at the end of the stipulated period.
• Plant products produced can be certified organic when the requirements of the national standards have been met within the conversion period of at least two years before sowing for annual crops or in the case of perennial crops other than grassland, at least three years before the first harvest of products.
• To ensure a clear separation between organic and conventional production, the certification bodies should inspect the whole production system.
• Biodegradable material of microbial plant or animal origin should form the basis of the fertilization program.
• Manures containing human excreta [ Feces and Urine ] can not be used on vegetation for human consumption.
• Mineral fertilizers should only be used in a supplementary role to carbon-based materials. Permission for use should only be given when other fertility management practices have been optimized.
• Chilean nitrate and all synthetic nitrogenous fertilizers, including urea, are prohibited on the farm.
• Mineral fertilizers should be applied in their natural composition and should not be rendered more soluble by chemical treatment.
• Products used for pest, disease, and weed management, prepared at the farm from local plants, animals, and micro-organisms, are allowed.
• The use of synthetic herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and other pesticides is prohibited.
• In case of reasonable suspicion of contamination, the certification program should make sure that an analysis of the relevant products and possible sources of pollution [ Soil and Water ] are carried out to determine the level of contamination.
• For protected structure coverings, plastic mulches, fleece, and insect netting, and silage rapping, products based only on polyethylene and polypropylene or other polycarbonates are allowed. These should be removed from the soil after use and should not be burnt on the farmland. The use of polychloride-based products such as PVC film is prohibited.

Now let us understand the National Standards for Organic Production [NSOP]. NSOP details the guideline for organic production which serves as a useful reference book for farmers, producers, processors traders, exporters, importers, inspection, and certification bodies in India and abroad. It is issued by the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industries, and Government of India.

NSOP is the official document that provides information on standards for organic production, system criteria, and accreditation procedure of the inspection and certification bodies. The national organic logo and regulations for using it are parts of NSOP. A farmer who wants to know about the details of the organic certification process may refer to the concerned section and get familiarized with it.

There are eight different sections in the NSOP manual. Out of this, Section 3 details the aspects related to “Crop Production and Animal Husbandry in General” outlining the activities a farmer has to follow on his farm. For each activity to be practically undertaken on the farm, the procedure is again subdivided into three separate parts as General Principles, Recommendations, and Standards. This was done to give an understanding of the holistic nature of the farming philosophy the farmer is trying to achieve through organic farming. These could be broadly explained as follows:

• General Principle Relating To Ecological Principle: The general principle related to organic production is that the activity proposed should fit into and benefit from nature’s systems. A dual goal is to guide the farmer for good management decision-making as well as to produce high-quality, safe food in a manner that tends to preserve the integrity and stability of the biotic community. The overall effort of any farming activity is to build up or at least sustain the inherent productive capacity of the soil and biological resources used in the production process. Similarly, organic processing should, as much as possible, retain the integrity of the product so produced. Any deviation from this ideal in production or processing should only be allowed when there is clearly demonstrated need, and must not undermine the long-term goals of building soil productivity and producing nutritious, safe food that consumers can buy and enjoy with confidence.

 

• Recommendations Relating To Precautionary Principle: The recommended practices in organic farms are made on the basis of precautionary principles. It is any material used in the production or processing of organic food that must be proven safe. However, no material is allowed on the farm simply because they have not been proven unsafe or because benefits may appear to outweigh risks and uncertainties. The burden of proof should always be on the farmer wishing to use the material and contending it is safe.

 

• Standards Related To System Principle: The acceptability of practices, processes, and inputs in organic production should be judged, first, on their impacts on whole organisms and the biological and ecological processes that govern the interactions within living systems. Those that are found to contribute to the health of organisms and systems should then be evaluated in terms of their intrinsic properties independent of their use and impacts on living systems. The standards prescribed for organic farming may vary with the farming situations.

 

NSOP For Crop Production And Animal Husbandry In General:

The Secion-3 of NPOP described this aspect in detail. The crop production and animal husbandry, in general, is detailed under the following heads:

• Crop Production And Animal Husbandry In General

1. 1. Conversion requirements.
   2. Maintenance of organic management.
   3. Landscape.

• Crop Production

1. 1. Choice of crops and varieties.
   2. Length of the conversion period.
   3. Diversity in crop production.
   4. Fertilization policy.
   5. Pest, disease, and weed management including growth regulators.
   6. Contamination control.
   7. Soil and water conservation.
   8. Collection of non-cultivated material of plant, origin, and honey.

• Animal Husbandry

1. 1. Animal husbandry management.
   2. Length of the conversion period.
   3. Brought-in animals.
   4. Breeds and breeding.
   5. Mutilations.
   6. Animal nutrition.
   7. Veterinary medicine.
   8. Transport and slaughter.
   9. Bee keeping.

• Food Processing And Handling

1. 1. General.
   2. Pest and disease control.
   3. Ingredients, additives, and processing aids.
   4. Processing methods.
   5. Packaging.

• Labeling

• Storage And Transport

Now let’s examine the subsection of each of the activity namely- Conversion Requirements. It has the General Principles, Recommendations, and Standards which are elaborated on in the following lines.

Conversion Requirements: The conversion is required to switch over from conventional to organic farms.

General Principles: “Organic agriculture develops a viable and sustainable agro-ecosystem, by working compatibly with natural living systems and cycles.” The time between the start of organic management and certification of crops and/or animal husbandry is known as the conversion period. The whole farm, including livestock, should be converted according to the standards over a period of three years.

Recommendations:

1:- For a sustainable agro-ecosystem to function optimally, diversity in crop production and animal husbandry must be arranged in such a way that there is an interplay of all the elements of farming management.

2:- Conversion may be accomplished over a period of time. A farm may be converted step by step. The totality of the crop production and all animal husbandry should be converted to organic management.

3:- There should be a clear plan of how to proceed with the conversion. This plan should be updated if necessary and should cover all aspects relevant to these standards. The certification program should set standards for different farming systems so that they can be clearly separated in production as well as in documentation.

4:- Standards should determine norms to prevent a mix-up of input factors and products.

5:- Independent sections of the operation unit should be converted in such a way that these standards are completely met on each section before it is certified as organic.

 

Inspection And Certification Of Organic Products For Export

The Director General of Foreign Trade [DGFT] had made it mandatory that organic product be exported only if it is certified by a certification body duly accredited by one of the accreditation agencies.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] and The European Union [EU] Regulation on Organic Production had recognized India’s National Standards for Organic Production as sufficient to meet the standards of the U.S. National Organic Program [NOP] and European Union regulations 2092/91. Some of the local certifying agencies had received European Union equivalency based on EUROPEGAP certification through the German certifier DAP.

It is also important to note that the exporters in developed countries are not allowed to apply directly for import authorization which means that Indian exporters have to depend on importers in individual European Union member states to obtain special import permits from their respective European Union control authorities. Moreover, import permits are issued for a defined period either for specific products or product groups from a given European Union country.