New Draft Regulations on Organic Production (October 2001)
Section 4: General standards for organically produced product
(1)
Production shall address measures for the provision of and improvement of
landscape and biodiversity and must contribute to the equilibrium of
agricultural production systems by providing for the nutrient requirements of
crops and by improving the soil's organic matter.
(2)
Inspection and certification shall be carried out before a product can be
regarded as being organic.
(3)
A product cannot be certified as organic unless the operation has been
subjected to a conversion period: Provided
that --
(a) the length of the conversion periods shall be as indicated in these regulations;
(b) a product entering the conversion period is subject to all the relevant standards in these regulations from the onset of the conversion period;
(c) the start of the conversion period shall be calculated from the date of application to the certifying organisation or from the date of last application of unapproved farm inputs: Provided that it can be demonstrated that the relevant standards in these regulations have been met from that date;
(d) a full conversion period is not required where the relevant standards in these regulations have been met for at least three years and where it can be verified through various means; and
(e) inspection shall be carried out during the conversion period.
(4)
Organic, organic in conversion and
conventional production is allowed on the same operation:
Provided that --
(a) organic and organic under conversion lands, animals, storage facilities and any other parts of the operation shall be clearly separated from conventional lands, animals, storage facilities and other parts of conventional operation, and shall be available for inspection as such;
(b) conventionally produced annual plants shall be from different varieties and grown in separate areas;
(c)
conventionally produced perennial plants may be of the same
varieties: Provided that --
(i)
the production in question forms part of a
conversion plan to organic production in a period which may not exceed a maximum
of five years;
(ii)
appropriate measures are taken to ensure the permanent separation of
products obtained from each unit; and
(iii)
the producer must keep records of the exact quantities harvested together
with any other particular distinguishing features such as quality, colour,
weight, etc.;
(d)
means of production such as tractors and implements shall not be used on
both organic and conventional production lands unless they have been thoroughly
cleaned and disinfected before moving from the conventional lands to the organic
or organic under conversion lands;
(e)
converted land and animals shall not be switched back and forth between
organic, organic in conversion and conventional production;
(f)
conventionally produced animals shall be from different species, and
shall be reared and housed separately; and
(g)
permission may be granted for conventionally produced animals of
different species to use the same pasture/grazing:
Provided that --
(i) the conventionally produced animals are under extensive husbandry; and
(ii) the conventionally produced animals are not present on the pasture/grazing at the same time as the organically produced animals.
(5)
All materials and/or the products produced from genetically modified
organisms, with the exception of certain veterinary medicinal products, are not
compatible with the principles of organic production and therefore are not
accepted under these regulations.
(6) The use of irradiation is
not allowed in production and processing.
(7)
A quality and safety management system shall be an integral part of the
organic production system.
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Go to section 5: Standards for plant production
Or go to section 6: Standards for animal production
Or go to section 7: Standards for bee keeping