Certification and Options Available to Organic Producers and Exporters in Asia

Ong Kung Wai,
IFOAM, Malaysia

What is certification? Do I need to be certified? And, particularly, How to choose a certification body? These questions can be all too confusing for the new operator.

The presentation will address general requirements and process of certification, including:

• Standards & Applicable requirements
• Documentation & Quality control
• Compliance audit / Inspection
• Conditions / Corrective actions
• Annual renewal

It will explain the operating scenario, the factors determining the need for certification, the actors involved and also explore key considerations in identifying suitable organic certification body or bodies to use, including:

• Market access and acceptance in the three major markets: the EU, US and Japan
• Credibility of the organisation with the trade and certification industry
• Cost of certification and inspection including use of local/regional inspectors.

Ong Kung Wai
Humus Consultancy
7, Jalan Nunn
10350 Penang
Malaysia
Tel: +604-2265 480
Fax: +604-2265 479
Email: mailto:[email protected]

Ong Kung Wai is CEO of Humus consultancy, a partner organisation of Grolink, an international consultancy service specialising in organic agriculture development. He studied Biodynamic Agriculture and Rural Development in the UK, travelled and participated in community and development work in Asia, Europe and USA, before settling back in Malaysia (1993). He was Sustainable Agriculture Programme Officer for Pesticide Action Network, Asia and the Pacific, for four years before moving to consultancy work. His involvement in the organic sector includes being Board member of the International Organic Accreditation Service (IOAS), IFOAM Norms Management Committee member, Management Committee member of ACT Control (a regional inspection service based in Bangkok), chairperson of Organic Alliance Malaysia (a membership based sector association) and Steering Committee member of the Malaysian organic certification programme. Besides organic agriculture interests, Kung Wai is proprietor of Taska Nania, a Rudolf Steiner pre-school education programme, based in Penang, Malaysia.