End of December 2006 the European Council decided on amending the EU Regulation regarding the import or organic products. The new import Regulation (EC) No. 1991/2006 came into force on 1 January 2007, however the present procedures will fully be applied during a transitional period of approx. 2 years. More information...

We are proud to announce that IMO is now fully accredited by the Accreditation Services International GmbH (ASI) for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification programme. Our Institute is one of the first certification bodies to gain this distinguished status in continental Europe.
IMO is now officially listed on the MSC website and offers certification and assessment of chain of custody (MSC COC) based on one of the best-known standards for sustainable fisheries. More information...
(28.11.2006)

The SIGES certification programme has been developed by the Instituto Tecnológico del Salmón (Intesal of SalmonChile) with the goal to satisfy the demands from the international markets for products which provide safety and harmlessness elaborated in a sustainable way as well as focusing on the occupational security and health. Furthermore this standard considers the new tendency of the markets like traceability, bioterrorism, requirements for labeling and animal welfare. Due this norms, this standard was performed considering Quality (ISO 9001), Environment (ISO 14001), Occupational Health and Safety (OHSAS 18001) and Good Practices (based in different international standards). For more information see the official website of Salmon Chile
(28.11.2006)

With immediate effect IMO is approved as a Certification Body for non-accredited certification of EUREPGAP Tea. Few months ago EUREPGAP launched the new EUREPGAP TEA Standard. This new standard provides Tea Farms/Processing Units and their retailer customers worldwide with a set of criteria for Good Agricultural Practices.
The new standard follows the format of other EUREPGAP codes, covering the critical areas from record keeping, crop protection products management, worker health and safety and environmental issues. The new standard enables Tea Farms/Processing Units to ensure that their product meets the demands of leading retailers worldwide. The standard covers all production stages up to tea ready for final consuming, including sections covering harvesting and processing. This is applicable for black tea, green tea or other intermediate products such as the Oolong tea.
During this first year of implementation, certificates against EurepGAP Tea will be issued in a non-accredited status until the EurepGAP revision process for 2007 is finalized. The Tea code will then be integrated into the Integrated Farm Assurance Standard (IFA) and will be updated according to the revision process. The EurepGAP General Regulations for Fruit and Vegetables must be followed until the revised version is available in 2007. More information....
(7.11.2006)

The International Working Group on Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) officially approved the first certification body: The Institute for Marketecology (IMO) offers certification according to this standard with immediate effect.

After four years of development this decision marks a milestone in the work of the GOTS Working Group. The great interest showed by processors, manufacturers as well as by leading brands and retailers underlines the current interest in organic textiles with a promising impact in main selling markets. More information... (2.10.2006/ih)

IMO is accredited to do inspection and certification according to the revised Japanese organic JAS standards. After undergoing reaccreditation due to the revision in the JAS law, IMO has been registered as RFCB (Registered Foreign Certification Body) by the Japanese Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, MAFF, on September 1st. We are pleased to offer JAS certification. Please contact us if your are interested to get more information.

The Commission of the European Communities has notified inclusion of India in the list of third countries of article 11 of the European Regulation (EEC) 2092/91. India is now among the countries considered to have rules for production applied and an inspection system equivalent to the requirements of the Regulation (EEC) 2092/91. This has been formally published in the Commission Regulation (EC) No 956/2006 of June 28th 2006, and has come into force on July 6th 2006.
Consequently, India is now approved for exports of organic products to the EU, inspected by one of the inspection bodies that are named in the amendment. IMO Control Private Limited is one of the listed accredited inspection & certification agencies.
For operators importing organic products from India into Europe, this means that with immediate effect no Import Authorisation is needed for such products. However, this is without influence on the Certificates of Inspection according to the Regulation 1788/2001 which are still required as usual. Please note that imports from India into Switzerland require an Import Authorisation as hitherto.
The detailed wording and list of accredited Indian inspection bodies can be found here. 
At the same time India has got recognition by the USDA to implement a system for control of organic exports to the US. The agency APEDA is entrusted to approve certification bodies to certify producers to the US National Organic Programme.
(20.07.2006)

New commission regulation (EC) No 780/2006 amending annex VI of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 concerns the following:

1. The EU Commission has posted a list of additives, carriers, and processing aids which may be used in products of plant and animal origin produced by organic methods.
2. Additives that may be used for the preparation of Fruit wines were defined (other wines are excluded). Please pay attention to the restrictions.
3. Changing in the wording of subsection A.4.: the regulation shows now „preparations of micro-organisms“.
4. Colours used for stamping eggshells

The amendment comes into effect not until 1st of December 2007. Products of animal origin bearing an indication referring to the organic production method, which have been lawfully produced before the date of application of this new Commission Regulation may be marketed until stocks are exhausted.
The full wording can be downloaded here: Reg. EC 780/2006 24.5.06.pdf.
(3.7.2006)

Please note the new office data of IMO China:
IMO China
P.O.Box 103
Gulou Post Office
Nanjing 21008 China
Phone: +86 25 8320 3586 or 8321 2780
E-mail: njoffice@public1.ptt.js.cn
www.imochina.cn
 
Furthermore, the official E-Mail Address from IMO Brasilia has changed.
The new general address is: imo@imocontrol.com.br
 
The contact data of all IMO offices, representatives and partners can be found here.
(26.6.2006)

The new commission regulation (EC) No 699/2006 has introduced the point 8.4.7 in the annex I part B of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 concerning new conditions of access for poultry to open-air runs.
Please download the official text: Reg. EC 699/2006 5.5.06.pdf
(3.7.2006)

In 2001 Bundesverband Naturkost Naturwaren (BNN) Herstellung und Handel e.V. (German Association of Natural Food and Products for Traders and Processors) adopted residue values the so called orientation values for chemical synthetic pesticides, crop protectants and stock preservation agents. The resolution means that only products will be traded which comply with these orientation values. The members of BNN Herstellung und Handel ensure compliance with this by obtaining written assurances from their upstream suppliers, by undertaking analyses or other action to ensure quality.
In May 2006 a regulation concerning multiple residues was added. Therefore, the requirements of the German market are getting stricter. 
In the case of composite products, each individual ingredient must correspond to the orientation values. The orientation values also apply to feedstuff, mixed feedstuff and feedstuff base products from organic agriculture. The orientation values are binding, unless stricter regulations are imposed by other legal product requirements. For detailed information (in English, German and Spain) please have a look at the official website of BNN. (15.06.2006)

The updated version of the EurepGAP IAA General Regulations and the Interpretation Guideline can be downloaded at the EurepGAP website. All changements are marked in red.
The Scope of EurepGAP Integrated Aquaculture Assurance covers the production destined for human consumption of aquaculture products. For more information about EurepGAP IAA and our services in the sector of fisheries and aquaculture please click here or contact the our scheme manager Ms. Nike Böger (nb@imo.ch).
(18.05.2006)

With open interest IMO is looking forward to the 1st IFOAM Conference on Organic Wild Production. Scheduled for May 3-4th 2006 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this First world get-together for organic wild production will address the growing interest in and trade of organic wild products like berries and mushrooms to key ingredients in organic body care products and medicines.
 
Target groups are producers of wild plants, communities involved in the collection of wild harvested products, processors of wild plants, developers of standards and certification systems, governmental or intergovernmental organizations and service providers to any of these groups. More than 250 experts from all over the world are expected to participate. In our opinion this event is of high importance. The conference aims to support the information exchange and networking between actors in the sector, including forging commercial links. For further information please have a look at www.organicwildconference.org.

IMO has done intense and pioneering work in the field of Wild collection and we have the pleasure to share some of our knowledge in this conference.

On Tuesday May 2th from 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM, IMO's Director Dr. Rainer Bächi will be moderating the session titled Sustainable Use.
 
On Wednesday May 4th from 11:30 PM - 11:55 PM Dr. Rainer Bächi will give response in the session titled Challenges in the sector.
 
On Thursday May 5th a workshop on Sustainable Wild Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants will take place. Focus of this workshop are potential implementation strategies for the International Standard. During the workshop organized by WWF Germany and TRAFFIC, Dr. Rainer Bächi talks about the Certification of Wild Collection in Bosnien & Herzegovina.

Come discuss obstacles and possible solutions.
We look forward to seeing you there!
(24.4.2006)

Hurray, the application for MSC accreditation has been submitted! IMO is now officially listed on the MSC website and can offer contracts concerning coastal fisheries as well as chain of custody assessments (COC).
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an independent, global, non-profit organisation with its head office based in London, UK. MSC has developed an environmental standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries and offers a product label to identify and reward environmentally responsible fishery operations that have successfully undergone scrutiny and verification of their management practices by an approved third party certification body.
IMO is one of the most experienced international agencies for inspection, certification and quality assurance of aquaculture products. The special IMO Group structure with local offices and representatives in more then 70 countries thus allows worldwide adequate inspection and certification services for the entire supply chain from the fishery to the consumer.
Obtaining MSC accreditation is the logical consequence of IMO's long-standing activities in the field of aquaculture; it strengthens our support of sustainable production of aquatic food and non-food product operations and expands our services in quality assurance to a new group of customers.
Welcome to IMO. We are pleased to offer a certification based on one of the best-known standards for sustainable fisheries.
>> For further information please click here or contact Nike Böger (nb@imo.ch).
(20.3.06)

The Indian tea planting initiative of Ambootia and the school project of Los Olivos in Uruguay are among the winners of the international award for producers 2006 of the Dutch Nature & More foundation. In this award themed “My world is your world” it was up to the consumers to select the winners. The ceremony took place in the course of BioFach 06.
The Ambootia Tea Estate located in Darjeeling at an altitude ranging from 500 to 1500 metres is a pioneer in tea cultivation. In the year 1998, the management decided to design a project in which the workers of the tea estate would be benefited from the organic revolution. Most of the permanent workers in the tea estate have smallholdings (0.04 to 1 ha) on which they grow subsistence crops like ginger, turmeric, orange, cardamom, maize, beans, potato, spinach etc.
Los Olivos is situated on the Uruguay River along the border with Argentina about 500 km North West from Montevideo. A wide variety of crops, such as citrus, olives, cereal grains, fruit and vegetables are being cultivated. The owners of the estate founded a primary school, which is being attended by some 40 students. Given the isolated location, this school pro-vides a level of education, which would other-wise not be available in this region.
Ambootia & Los Olivos are both inspected and certificated by IMO. Their engagements in addition to their important work in organic farming are remarkable and outstanding. We are pleased to hear about this success and send our warmest congratulations to the winners!
(17.3.2006)

Organic certification provides a sustainable contribution to poverty reduction. This is the outcome of the Cashew-nuts project in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), the poorest province in Indonesia. IMO acted as a partner organisation of Swisscontact Indonesia and Swisscontact Germany gGmbH in the support of local economic development. The camera team “Filmtrüffel” documented this exotic and fair project in a movie. A first official presentation of this movie and the Flores cashew-nuts project will take place during BioFach at Nuremberg on Thursday 16th of February in area CCN Ost, 2nd floor, room “Prag”. The visitors of the event have the chance to convince themselves: the Flores cashew-nuts are of very high quality.
The German television WDR broadcasts the movie on 7th avril 2006, 18.20 p.m. Have a look at the trailer !!!
(08.02.06)

For the Organic Cotton Project of the world-wide largest retail chain Wal-Mart and for companies participating Sam's Club IMO is by now approved to perform inspection and certification of organic cotton cultivation in Türkiye, China, India, Pakistan and Africa. In the processing field IMO is approved to perform inspection and certification of all operations involved in this organic program world-wide.
(18.01.2006)

You will find IMO in Hall 1 booth 101! We are looking forward to meeting you. Have a look at the trade fair website: www.biofach.de.
(09.01.2006)

Come and visit IMO at the international fair of natural and organic textiles, booth EG 003.
(18.01.2006)

We invite you to visit the new local website of IMO Germany. There you will find details about our local office in Germany and basic information about the IMO group in German. In future all IMO offices and representatives world-wide will have their own new website. You can select these local pages at the start page of www.imo.ch or by clicking on the names in the address list under “IMO offices” or "contact".
(11.01.2006)