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Smallholder Group Certification
IMO is specialized since many years in the certification of smallholder farmers groups and presently certifies more than 300 smallholder farmers groups world-wide. The certified groups vary in size from 20 to 25'000 farmers and produce a great variety of crops (coffee, spices, cocoa, fresh or dried fruits, rice, cotton, nuts, etc.)
Smallholder farmers can be certified as a group with their own Internal Control System (ICS). The external inspection of a group with an ICS focuses on evaluation of the efficiency of the ICS and only a representative percentage of farmers must be inspected by IMO directly, which greatly reduces the costs for certification of a large group of small (and often remote) farmers.
IMO has been one for the first certifiers to develop an adapted control system for organic groups, based on the existence of an Internal Control System instead of inspection of many individual smallholder farmers each year. Our staffs are highly qualified in evaluation of Internal Control Systems (ICS) and are very familiar with the specific situation of smallholder producers in developing countries.
We are highly experienced in pre-audits for producer groups who wish to set up or optimize their Internal Control System (ICS) and in trainings for inspectors or certification staff in how to evaluate an ICS and check the group's compliance.
Recently, IMO has developed the new IFOAM documents for smallholder group certification with a guidance manual and training courses for producer groups as well as inspectors and certification staff. Presently, these documents are being further developed to cover also the requirements for other quality schemes such as Utz Certified.
>> more information on IMO's expertise in smallholder group certification and document download
Smallholder farmers can be certified as a group with their own Internal Control System (ICS). The external inspection of a group with an ICS focuses on evaluation of the efficiency of the ICS and only a representative percentage of farmers must be inspected by IMO directly, which greatly reduces the costs for certification of a large group of small (and often remote) farmers.
IMO has been one for the first certifiers to develop an adapted control system for organic groups, based on the existence of an Internal Control System instead of inspection of many individual smallholder farmers each year. Our staffs are highly qualified in evaluation of Internal Control Systems (ICS) and are very familiar with the specific situation of smallholder producers in developing countries.
We are highly experienced in pre-audits for producer groups who wish to set up or optimize their Internal Control System (ICS) and in trainings for inspectors or certification staff in how to evaluate an ICS and check the group's compliance.
Recently, IMO has developed the new IFOAM documents for smallholder group certification with a guidance manual and training courses for producer groups as well as inspectors and certification staff. Presently, these documents are being further developed to cover also the requirements for other quality schemes such as Utz Certified.
>> more information on IMO's expertise in smallholder group certification and document download
Certification requirements
Smallholder farmers (farmers associations/cooperatives or processors with contracted smallholder farmers) may be certified as a group under the following conditions:
- common marketing of the produce as a group
- homogeneity of members in terms of location, production system, products
- the group has an Internal Control System
The EU addtionally restricts smallholder groups certification (with reduced external control) to developing countries only.
The requirements for a formal Internal Control System that allows IMO to delegate the inspection of all members to the ICS can be summarized as follows:
For certification according to different organic standards, the same ICS requirements apply. However, the group must ensure to cover the requirements of all chosen organic standards in their internal organic standard and in their internal control procedures.
Example: the group is already EU certified and now requires also NOP certification -> the group has to check their internal organic stadnard and update it with e.g. the special compost requirements of NOP that exceed the EU-Regulation.
- common marketing of the produce as a group
- homogeneity of members in terms of location, production system, products
- the group has an Internal Control System
The EU addtionally restricts smallholder groups certification (with reduced external control) to developing countries only.
The requirements for a formal Internal Control System that allows IMO to delegate the inspection of all members to the ICS can be summarized as follows:
- Has written procedures and forms (ICS Manual)
- Is aware of risks and critical control points
- Has an internal organic standard, i.e a summary /interpretation of the requirements for organic production that can be understood by farmers and ICS staff
- The ICS carries out internal inspections of all farmers in the group
- Has documented effective procedures for internal farm inspection, internal approval and dealing with non-compliances
- The ICS has qualified personnel and a clear structure
- The group ensures training of farmers as well as of ICS staff
- The group handles/supervises organic Product Flow
For certification according to different organic standards, the same ICS requirements apply. However, the group must ensure to cover the requirements of all chosen organic standards in their internal organic standard and in their internal control procedures.
Example: the group is already EU certified and now requires also NOP certification -> the group has to check their internal organic stadnard and update it with e.g. the special compost requirements of NOP that exceed the EU-Regulation.
Certification Procedures
The inspection of a smallholder group focusses on the evaluation of the efficiency of the Internal Control System (ICS). In order to evaluate the internal Control System a certain percentage of farmers is re-inspected by the IMO inspector. This percentage strongly varies with the risk category of the operator and with the quality of the ICS.
The group of farmers is considered ONE operator for the certification process.
If you are not yet certified by IMO, please click here for information how to become IMO certified
The group of farmers is considered ONE operator for the certification process.
If you are not yet certified by IMO, please click here for information how to become IMO certified
