A product coming from an organic farmer is either
an agricultural product or a food product. To
merit this name, it must come from an agricultural method of production free from
synthetic chemical products. The producers
of organic products, and especially organic farmers, apply work methods founded on
recycling natural organic materials and on crop rotation.
They try to respect the balance of living organisms that populate the soil
(bacteria, earthworms, etc…)
Organic agriculture is not a simplified or simple
agriculture. On the contrary, it very often employs very elaborate methods. The organic farmer places a high importance on the
environment, an indispensable condition for preserving the good health of the earth.
The organic product that results is therefore a high qualify
product. In the heart of the European Union, community regulations are applied to
unprocessed agricultural products (such as grains, legumes, fruits, leguminous
plants,etc...) and they also apply to products destined for human consumption essentially composed of one or more ingredients made from plants (like bread,
cookies, etc…). In order to be accepted
as organic, upon marketing, they should be marked “organically grown.” Animal
products (meat, milk products, eggs…) are not yet subject to these community
regulations. They are regulated by national
laws (1980 law) that approved twelve requirements concerning: sheep, cow, and goat milk and milk products,
poultry, eggs, pork, honey and herbivore animal protein (milk cows, young and fat beef cattle, veal meat,
mutton, rabbits and processed pork.)
The organic
producer has the obligation to maintain or increase fertility and biological activity by
growing leguminous plants, green fertilizer or deep rooted plants**along with a program of
frequent rotation. The farmer can add organic
material (composted or not) and by-products of operations that use the organic method of
production, such as farm manure, to the soil. He
must obtain these materials from farms that comply with the same regulations.
In order to
fight against parasites, diseases and weeds**, the organic farmer must choose appropriate
species, establish a program of adapted rotation, use mechanical and not chemical
procedures of cultivation, protect the
natural enemies of parasites by adequate methods (for example: hedges, nests, dissemination of predators,
biological combat, etc..) and use thermal
instead of chemical herbicides.
Organic
production includes the harvesting of wild edible vegetables and/or certain parts of them. These vegetables must, on the one hand, grow
spontaneously in natural areas or farmlands that have not been treated with forbidden products for a period of three years before harvesting, and on the
other hand, the harvesting method should not affect the stability of the natural habitat
and the survival of species.
Over 95% Organic*:
natural organic vegetable products and processed vegetable products whose
content of ingredients coming from organic farms is over 95%.
Over 70% Organic*:
processed vegetable products whose content of ingredients originating from
organic farms is at least equal to 70%. It
should have the remark: “X% of the
organic ingredients were grown according to the rules of organic production” and
specify which products they are and only those products.
Over 50%
Organic*: Since December 31, 1997, this
category no longer exists.
- What is
the procedure for importing organic product from the other countries?
Organic
vegetable products coming from other countries will be accepted as organic whether they
are processed or not, if they are registered on a list established by the (European)
Commission after an examination of similar regulations applied in those countries relating
to production and control, if they are accompanied by a original certificate provided by a
competent department of that country. However, it is possible to recur to common law until
December 2002. An imported product,
authorized in a member State, can circulate freely in the European Union.
It enables
professionals to make sure their products are identified as organically grown and it helps
the consumer to make an easier choice thanks to a form of rapid visual identification.
The symbol
“AB” on the label of a product guarantees:
compliance with the CEE regulation (2092/91 of 6/24/91, modified) for
growing vegetables or processed products
composed mainly of vegetable ingredients; compliance with regulations recognized by French
public legislature (the modified law of 7/04/1980) for raising animals and for animal products; that a food originates from a
method of production that is defined by putting into practice specifics such as the use of
green fertilizer, natural pest control and a strictly limited use of fertilization,
treatment, stocking and preservation products; that the food is composed of more than 95%
organically grown ingredients; that the producer or processor has been inspected and has
been certified by a certifying agency accepted by French public legislature and that
complies with criteria of independence, impartiality, efficiency and competence
(regulation CEE 2092/92 norm NF EN45011). |
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Organic or Chemical?
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* * the list of manures and amendments of the ground and the plant
health products authorized by the payment of the EEC is specified in Appendices I and II
in the schedule of conditions
* the name
of the organization certifier (in France:Ecocert, France
Quality, Ascert) is obligatory on all the products resulting from biological agriculture
which must mention: " Agriculture biological-System of control EE"+LE name of
the organization certificateur: le name and/or the business name of the producer, the
preparer or the salesman. And for the products bio with more than 95% logo " AB
" while the products bio with more than 70% can use neither biological
mention"agriculture " nor logo " AB ".
In the other languages, biological Agriculture is written: Agricultura ecologica in Spain, Okologisk
jordbrug in Denmark, Okologische agrawirtschaft or Biologische
landwirtschaft in Germany, Organic farming in England, Agricoltura
biologica in Italy, btologikh gevrgia in Greece, Biologische
landbouw in Holland, Agricultura biologica in Portugal, Luonnonmukainen
maataloustuotano or Ekologiskt iordbruk in Finland, Ekologiskt
jordbruk in Sweden.
The biological case of the ingredients of animal origin:
it is possible to integrate biological ingredients of animal origin
in the manufacture of biological foodstuffs primarily vegetable. In this case, the
organization certifier (see hereafter) requires that these biological ingredients are
conform to the national regulation into force (what is the case in France) or has defect,
with the international practices recognized as regards biological animal production.
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