ANNEXURE XI

MINIMUM INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS AND PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

Interpreted and applied to the inspection scheme referred to in Section 12 and 13 of the Ecocert-Afrisco standards for organic agriculture

A         GENERAL PROVISIONS

A1.      Minimum inspection requirements

The inspection requirements of this Annexure are necessary to ensure traceability of organic products during the entire production chain / chain of custody, as referred to in Section 3.(1)a - h of the Afrisco standards, and to ensure that the provisions of the Afrisco standards are satisfied.

A2.      Initial inspection

When the inspection arrangements are first implemented, the operator responsible must fill in the application document, containing:

• a full description of the unit and/or premises and/or activity
• all the practical measures to be taken at the level of the unit and/or premises and/or activity to ensure compliance with the Afrisco standards and in particular with the requirements in this Annexure.
• Precautionary measure taken to reduce risk of contamination by cleaning measures or unauthorised products, such as in storage.

In addition, this signed declaration must include an undertaking by the operator:

•  to perform operations in accordance with the Ecocert-Afrisco Standards
•  to accept, in the event of infringement or irregularities, enforcement of the measures referred to in Section13, and specifically Sub-section 14.a and 14.b, and Section14 of the Afrisco standards and
•  in case of withdrawal or suspension of certification, to inform buyers in writing  that all indications referring to organic production or to Afrisco are removed from packaging.

This declaration must be verified by an Ecocert-Afrisco inspector in a report identifying the possible deficiencies and non-compliances with the provisions of the Afrisco standards. The operator must countersign this summary report and take the necessary corrective measures.

A3.      Communications

The operator must notify Ecocert-Afrisco speedily of any change in the description of activities or of the practical measures referred to in point 2 above. 

A4.      Inspection visits

Ecocert-Afrisco must make a full physical inspection, at least once a year, of the production/preparation units or other premises. Ecocert-Afrisco may take samples for testing of products not authorised under the standards or for checking production techniques not in conformity with the Afrisco standards. Samples may also be taken and analysed for detecting possible contamination by unauthorised products. However, such analysis must be carried out where the use of unauthorised products is suspected. An inspection report must be drawn up after each visit, countersigned by the inspector.

Moreover, Ecocert-Afrisco shall carry out random inspection visits, announced or not. The visits shall cover in particular those holdings or situations where specific risk or exchange of products from organic production with other products may exist. 

A5.      Documentary accounts

Stock and financial records must be kept in the unit or premises, to enable the operator and Ecocert-Afrisco to trace:

• the supplier and, where different, the seller, or the exporter of the products;
• the nature and the quantities of all organic products delivered to the unit and, where relevant, of all materials bought and the use of such materials;
• the nature and quantities of all organic products held in storage at the premises;
• the nature, the quantities and the buyers of organic products which have left the unit;
• in case of operators who do not store or physically handle such products, the nature and quantities of organic products bought and sold, and the suppliers, and where different, the sellers or the exporters and the buyers, and where different the consignees;
• The documentary accounts must also comprise the results of the verification at receipt of products and any other information required by Ecocert-Afrisco for the purpose of proper inspection.
• The documentary accounts of bee-keepers will include the annual maps referred to in Section 5.5.(f).

The data in the accounts must be documented with appropriate justification documents.

The accounts must demonstrate the balance between the input and the output.

A6.      Packaging and transport of products to other production/preparation units or premises

The operators shall ensure that products referred to in the Afrisco standards shall be transported to other units, including to wholesalers and retailers, only in appropriate packaging, containers or vehicles closed in such a manner that substitution of the content cannot be achieved without manipulation or damage of the seal and provided with a label stating, without prejudice to any other indications required by law:

• the name and address of the operator and, where different, of the owner or seller of the product;
• the name of the product, including a reference to the organic production method, in accordance with Section11 of the Afrisco standards;
• the Afrisco name and logo and,
• where relevant, the lot identification mark according to a marking system either approved at national level or agreed with Ecocert-Afrisco and which permits to link the lot with the accounts referred to in Section 5 above..

The information under (a), (b), (c) and (d) can also be presented on an accompanying document, if such document can be undeniably linked with the packaging, container or vehicle of the product. This accompanying document shall include information on the supplier and/or the transporter.

However, the closing of packaging, containers or vehicles is not required where:

• transportation is direct between a producer and another operator who are both subject to the inspection system referred to in Sections 12 and 13 of the Afrisco standards and
• the products are accompanied by a document giving the information required under the previous subparagraph, and
• the inspection body or authority of both the sending and the receiving operators have been informed of such transport operations and have agreed thereto. Such agreement might be provided for one or more transport operation(s).

A7.      Storage of products

For the storage of products, areas must be managed in order to ensure identification of lots and to avoid any mixing with or contamination by products and/or substances not in compliance with the Afrisco standards.

A8.      Products suspected not to satisfy the requirements of the Afrisco standards

Where an operator considers or suspects that a product which he has produced, prepared, imported or been delivered from another operator, is not in compliance with the Afrisco standards he shall initiate procedures either to withdraw from this product any reference to the organic production method or to separate and identify the product. He only may put it into processing or packaging or on the market after elimination of that doubt, unless it is placed on the market without indication referring to the organic production method. In case of such doubt, the operator shall immediately inform Ecocert-Afrisco. Ecocert-Afrisco may require that the product cannot be placed on the market with indications referring to the organic production method until it is satisfied, by the information received from the operator or from other sources, that the doubt has been eliminated.

Where an inspection body or authority has a substantiated suspicion that an operator intends to place on the market a product not in compliance with the Afrisco standards but bearing a reference to the organic production method, this inspection body or authority can require that the operator may provisionally not market the product with this reference. This decision shall be supplemented by the obligation to withdraw from this product any reference to the organic production method if Ecocert-Afrisco is sure that the product does not fulfil the requirements of the Afrisco standards. However if the suspicion is not confirmed, the above decision shall be cancelled not later than a time period after having been taken. Ecocert-Afrisco shall define this time period. The operator shall co-operate fully with Ecocert-Afrisco in resolving the suspicion.

A9.      Access to facilities

The operator must give Ecocert-Afrisco, for inspection purposes, access to all parts of the unit and all premises, as well as to the accounts and relevant supporting documents. He must provide Ecocert-Afrisco with any information deemed necessary for the purposes of the inspection.

When requested by Ecocert-Afrisco, the operator shall submit the results of its own voluntary inspection and sampling programmes.

In addition, importers must submit any transaction certificates for imports from third countries.

A10.    Exchange of information

Where the operator and his subcontractors are inspected by different inspection bodies or authorities, the declaration referred to in point 3 must include an agreement by the operator on his behalf and that of his subcontractors, that the different inspection bodies or authorities can exchange information on the operations under their inspection and on the way this exchange of information can be implemented.