The aim of organic farming is to support and strengthen biological processes without recourse to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and the genetic modification of organisms. Hence, this method takes a mainly preventive approach to controlling weeds, pests and diseases.
In order to ensure that organic products are indeed produced according to organic farming principles, they, or rather the whole production and handling process from the farmer to the consumer, must be certified “organic”. By certification, a third party (an accredited body) gives written assurance that a product labelled as organic is produced according to recognized standards for organic farming.
Certification is a necessary condition for international trade in organic products. When entering a market, suppliers should ensure that their products are certified as meeting the standards applicable in that particular market. Producers who supply several different markets should be aware that organic standards may differ somewhat from market to market, although they are generally based on the same principles.
