I am employed by the Organic Herb Growers of Australia in the capacity of Certification Officer. My duties include the inspection of farming operations with a view to certifying the crops grown there as suitable for sale as organic products. As I have been asked to talk to you about the Organic Certification System I have chosen the following six topics which I hope will give you a brief outline of how the system works.
At the most basic level organic farming could be defined as a system of agriculture where all of the inputs are of natural origin and have not been chemically changed in any way. However to simply substitute organic fertilizers for chemical ones is to miss the point entirely.
The crux of the matter is the manner in which the plants obtain their nutrients. In a non-organic system the nutrients are applied to the soil in a soluble form and are then taken up by the plants dissolved in soil water. Plants grown in an organic system take up nutrients as they are released slowly from humus colloids by microbial activity at a rate governed by temperature. In this type of system, the metabolism of the plant and its ability to assimilate nutrients can not be stressed by excessive uptake of soluble salts.
To quote from the National Standards for Organic and Bio-Dynamic Produce, the document upon which the whole certification system is based.
"Organic means produced in soils of enhanced biological activity, determined by the humus level, crumb structure and feeder root development, such that plants are fed through the soil ecosystem and not primarily through soluble fertilisers added to the soil."
The ultimate aim is to build up a system from which a commercial crop may be harvested with a minimum of external inputs, in other words a sustainable system. However it is not an easy task to produce sufficient nutrients organically to keep up with a commercial crop hence the major concern for an organic operation must be soil condition. In order to develop a sustainable commercial operation there must be either sufficient land available to allow a viable crop rotation scheme or else, in the case of a tree cropping operation, nutrients derived from organic material grown outside the orchard could be brought into the growing area.
No herbicides or pesticides may be used at any stage of the cultivation or processing of organic produce. The most common method employed for weed control is the use of mulches which have other advantages apart form weed suppression such as aiding moisture retention and stabilising soil temperatures while reducing erosion caused by rainfall. Plants being grown organically are less susceptible to attack by pests and diseases since they are not being stressed by the uncontrolled uptake of soluble salts, however these plants are not totally immune to attack. Environmental controls such as provision of suitable habitats for predatory insects and insectivouous birds are encouraged in preference to the use of naturally occurring pesticides such as Pyrethrum, although the use of such pesticides is acceptable.
I am sure it is possible, but I doubt that it is practical to monitor the use of chemical fertilisers in a farming operation sufficiently closely to ensure that there is no run-off to cause environmental damage. Plant nutrients of chemical origin are, by definition, soluble so they are easily leached from the soil. Nutrients which are of organic origin only become soluble after being broken down by microbial activity so they are released in a controlled manner. One of the reasons that growers choose organic production is that it almost guarantees that there is no adverse effect upon the environment from farm run-off. Unfortunately the repeated application of chemical fertilisers also kills the essential microbes required for an organic system to work, thereby locking the growth into a cycle of continued chemical use which will never be of benefit to soil condition. An organic operation on the other hand may, quite possibly, provide less end product but is constantly improving the soil condition as microbial activity and organic matter in the soil increase thereby offering the possibility of increasing yields as soil condition improves.
As prices rise for inorganic fertilisers, chemical sprays and the equipment used to apply them a method of farming with none of these costs involved looks increasingly attractive. Even if there is a drop in crop yields, input costs are sure to be drastically reduced as organic nutrients produced on the property replace purchased ones. The emergence of strains of insects which are pesticide resistant and a tendency for some crops to respond less and less to the repeated application of chemical fertilisers are issues which are starting to worry sections of the agricultural community. All farmers are going through an increase in environmental awareness and even those that I speak to who have no intention of changing their operations to organic are aware that the minimisation of chemical usage, apart from the cost saving, is of benefit to their land in the long run.
Most of the growers who have taken the trouble to obtain organic certification may well do so because of the pricing premium which exists for most crops which are certified as being grown organically. An increasing percentage of the buying public is showing a preference for foods which have been grown without the use of chemicals and are therefore guaranteed free from any residues. Reasons for this preference may be philosophical or health oriented, together with these-foods being perceived to have superior flavour, nutritional value and shelf life. As more information becomes available on just how fragile our environment really is the demand for goods which have been produced in a environmentally friendly manner also increases. These facts are especially true for some overseas markets notably Europe.
I also meet some growers who are not motivated purely by financial considerations. Some wish to make a moral statement, some are seeking official verification of their farming practices and a few are the victims of various forms of agricultural or industrial poisoning and have no choice but to totally avoid any form of chemicals.
The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) finds itself as the controlling body for organic certification because we do not have any domestic standards for organic produce within Australia. Currently the government only becomes involved with organic certification at export. Despite pressure being applied by the organic industry for the introduction of domestic standards the question has just recently been put in the "too hard bin" for at least the next two years. The National Food Authority, being the government department who is responsible for food labeling, can not delegate the issue to another department, which in this case would be AQIS, so another approach to the problem must be sought.
Although we lack any system for monitoring the labeling of organic produce sold within Australia this primarily effects the retail public. Commercial buyers for whom this is an issue have simply taken the export system as a de facto standard and are willing to pay premium prices for produce from growers certified under the National schemes.
The grower and the property are certified together as a pair.
Only crops produced by that particular grower on that particular property may be marketed as organic under the scheme. Change either the grower or the property and a new certification must be sought.
For a property to be suitable for the cultivation of organic produce there must be minimal, if any, existing contamination of the soil and there must also be a source of uncontaminated water for irrigation purposes. Spraydrift from neighbors may also be a problem and could render a property unsuitable in the absence of suitable spray barriers.
Growers are required to sign an affidavit stating that they agree to comply with the standards as set but by the certification body of their choice and that they will make their farms available for annual inspection. Following the initial inspection the grower begins a probationary period and may market their produce as "In conversion to organic" for a period of between one and three years depending on the previous usage of the property. Only after this probationary period has been completed are growers entitled to market their produce as "Grade A organic", assuming of course that an analysis of their produce shows no contamination and that their farming practices are acceptable under the national standards.
There are at present five organisations accredited by the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service to carry out certifications.
NASAA and BFA have been discussing a possible merger.
In New Zealand there are to my knowledge two certifying organisations.
Each of the Australian organisations mentioned above produces its own set of organic standards which are based on and comply with the National Standards for Organic and Bio-Dynamic Produce which were compiled by the controlling body - the Organic Produce Advisory Committee. On many issues the standards produced by the individual certification bodies are more stringent than the National Standards
All certified growers are subject to annual farm inspections plus random inspections are required to be carried out on an additional five percent of all properties.
The system used by the Organic Herb Growers, which is the only one with which I am familiar, operates in the following manner.
During the initial inspection soil samples are taken to establish that the nominated area has not previously been contaminated. At all subsequent annual inspections foliage samples are taken which also pick up any spray drift or subsoil problems. If the grower wishes to commence cultivation of a different site on their property another soil sample is required to ensure that the new site is clean. The decision whether or not a water sample is required depends upon the water source. Dams which are spring fed or fed by run-off only from the property in question are not usually a problem. However dams fed by run-off from a chemical-using neighbour's property would of course be highly suspect and may require testing.
The National Health and Medical Research Council sets the maximum organochlorine and organophosphate levels which may be present in any crop offered for sale. Referred to as the Maximum Residue Level or M.R.L. this is taken as the yardstick for judging acceptable levels of contamination An organic produce. In order to be acceptable to the Organic Herb Growers the level of any residues must not be greater than five percent of the M.R.L. set for that particular crop. In other words the requirement for certification is twenty times tougher on this issue than that of the National Health and Medical Research Council.
During a certification inspection the grower's farming practices are discussed, the nature and origin of all materials imported into the growing area are reviewed to ensure that they are acceptable and that wherever possible sustainable agricultural practices are being followed. The primary concern is to ensure that the crop is free from any contamination and that no chemicals were used during cultivation or processing.
While with certain restrictions the National Standards do allow for only part of a property to be run organically this is not encouraged by the certification organisations. The approach taken by the Organic Herb Growers is that limited use of herbicides (this being the most common concern in the sub tropics) may be permitted outside of-the certified area where firstly there is absolutely no chance of contamination of the organic crop and secondly where this is a once-off cleanup operation and not a part of everyday farming practice. This last question is one which can very easily dissolve from black and white into shades of grey and may even come down to a subjective judgment as to whether the farmer really has taken the spirit of organic agriculture to heart or not.
In conclusion I would like to point out that the organic certification system is very new and is still evolving. There are other questions such as contamination caused by diesel exhaust fumes from farm machinery still to be addressed but for the present the system does assure the consumer that the produce they are purchasing is free from chemical residues and has been grown with at least minimal impact upon the environment.