Group certification is an approach that facilitates access of smallholders to organic certification and hence to organic markets and their associated benefits.
IFOAM works extensively on the topic of group certification and the associated concept of Internal Control System (ICS). This page gives you an overview of the work done and the resources available on that topic.
An Internal Control System (ICS) is the part of a documented quality assurance system that allows an external certification body to delegate the periodic inspection of individual group members to an identified body or unit within the certified operator. This means that the third party certification bodies only have to inspect the well-functioning of the system, as well as to perform a few spot-check re-inspections of individual smallholders.
Group Certification is regulated by a specific set of requirements in the IFOAM Accreditation Requirements for Bodies Certifying Organic Production and Processing.
IFOAM - Organics International has published training materials on ICS for producers organizations and for inspectors and certification personnel. All materials are available on the Training Kit on ICS for Smallholder Group Certification page.
IFOAM - Organics International has played a key role in the harmonization of the ICS concept in the 90s and in early 2000.
In 2003, IFOAM - Organics International submitted to the EU a Position on Smallholder Group Certification for Organic Production and Processing. The position showed the consensus reached by the organic sector globally on the ICS requirements and resulted in the EU accepting group certification essentially with the requirements developed within the IFOAM - Organics International process. The process included 3 international workshops in 2001, 2002 and 2003. The proceedings of this series of workshop is available here.
In 2004, IFOAM - Organics International published the results of its ICS global harmonization work in the form of the IFOAM - Organics International training kit on ICS for smallholder group certification. These materials are still a key resource today for anybody involved with the group certification topic. Please find all materials below.
The 2003 position said that “there may be a number of other situations [than developing countries] where group certification concepts may be relevant and applicable, and we would like in a nearby future also to have a dialogue on these issues”. This happened starting in 2005 with the initiation of a pilot program on “ICS in the North”. A workshop was followed by a pilot project (2006-2008) involving groups and CBs 4 European countries.
In 2008, IFOAM - Organics International organized a debate at the Organic World Congress (OWC), around the topic “Group Certification, who should be eligible?” This debate gathered input from the European pilot project, and from ongoing discussion in the US about group certification acceptance and scope at that time. Read more about the OWC discussion paper here and the debate background and outcome here.
In 2007 and 2008, IFOAM - Organics International was involved in advocacy activities towards the NOSB who were challenging the acceptance of group certification in the US system. This resulted in the maintenance of the allowance of group certification.
In 2015 IFOAM - Organics International provided comments to the consultant developing ICS guidelines for the Sound and Sensible Certification Projects of the USDA.
In autumn 2018, the Swiss Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL) conducted an extensive study on the scale, achievements and outlook of group certification, with IFOAM - Organics International as a project partner. Based on a stakeholder survey and expert interviews, the study examined the importance and implementation of existing group certification. It identified a need for some additional guidance and strengthening of selected criteria in order to ensure consistent and reliable implementation of the concept worldwide. The study was presented at the Biofach Nuremberg Fair in February 2019 with IFOAM - Organics International as co-host of the session.
Following the publication of the new EU organic regulation in May 2018, the EU Commission started to develop further guidance for group certification, which will allow group certification also within the EU.
In spring 2019 IFOAM - Organics International launched a multi-stakeholder process to the refine group certification requirements. The objective was to develop a position to the EU Commission and to serve as a basis for a future revision of the IFOAM Accreditation Requirements. A a first step an online expert survey was carried out in April 2019.
In May 2019 IFOAM - Organics International organized an International Workshop on Organic Group Certification Requirements. Participants included representatives of the EU Commission, IFOAM EU, of the biggest control bodies certifying producer groups world-wide, producer group representatives, IOAS, ISEAL and selected other voluntary sustainability standards. The workshop brought key organic stakeholders together to discuss and further strengthen the requirements for organic group certification after more than 15 years of implementation all over the world. It discussed the outcome of the expert survey and proceeded to make concrete recommandations on desirable group certification requirements. The workshop report is accessible here.
In July 2019 IFOAM - Organics International launched a consultation process on its draft position paper to the EU Commission on the requirements for group certification in the new EU Organic Regulation. The IFOAM position was revised with the input for the consultation and submitted to the EU commission and the members states as input in the EU organic Regulation Revision process in November 2019.
In August 2020 the EU Commission published a call for public consultation on the group certification requirements of the draft new EU Regulation. IFOAM - Organics International published a short brief as a guidance for stakeholder responding to the call.
In July 2023 IFOAM – Organics International together with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) hosted the webinar to unveil the completed version of the “IFOAM Guidance & Explanation of Group Certification Requirements” according to the New EU Organic Regulation 2018/848. We were delighted to welcome over 800 diverse participants to this event, with over 1400 registered to view the recording and receive the presentation. More details you can find here.
Training Kit on ICS for Smallholder Group Certification
In 2004, IFOAM - Organics International published the training kit on ICS for smallholder group certification. These materials are still a key resource today for anybody involved with the group certification topic and can be downloaded from this website.
The training kit consists of materials for two target groups:
- Training Curriculum on the Evaluation of ICS for Inspectors and Certification Personnel
- Training Curriculum for Producer Organizations
The material for each target groups consist of the following components:
- Training Manual - Booklet
- Training Manual - Slides
- Training Guide
The material is available in the following languages:
- English, French, Spanish (Inspectors and Producers Manual )
- Chinese (Inspectors Manual only)
- Turkish (Producers Manual only)
Please find the training kits following the links below.
Training Curriculum on the Evaluation of ICS for Inspectors and Certification Personnel
This is the IFOAM - Organics International Training Kit on ICS for smallholder group certification for Organic Inspectors and Certification Personnel. The version for producers can be accessed below.
Download the complete manuals:
2. Training Manual - Slides
- Introduction
- Overview: ICS Evaluation Procedures
- Inspection Schedule and Risk Assessment
- Inspection of the Internal Control System in the ICS Office
- Internal Inspection
- Objectives of External Farm Re-Inspections
- Inspection of Buying/Selling and Handling
- Reporting
3. Guiding Documents for Organic Inspectors and Certification Personnel
Este es el courso de formación en la certificación de grupos de pequeños agricultores para inspectores orgánicos y personal de certificación. La versión para productores se puede acceder aquí.
Descargue los manuales completos:
- Courso de formación - Manual
- Courso de formación - Diapositivas
- Documentos de guía para inspectores orgánicos y personal de certificación
Ceci est le cours de formation de IFOAM - Organics International sur SCI pour la certification collective des paysans bio destiné aux inspecteurs de produits biologiques et au personnel de certification. La version pour les producteurs est accessible ici.
Veuillez télécharger les manuels complets:
- Cours de Formation - Manuel
- Course de Formation - Transparents
- Guide pour inspecteurs et certificateurs
This is the Chinese Version of the IFOAM - Organics International Training Kit on ICS for smallholder group certification for organic inspectors and certification personnel.
Download the complete manuals:
- Training Manual - Booklet
- Training Manual - Slides
- Guiding document for Producers
- Guiding document for Inspectors
Training Curriculum for Producer Organizations
This is the IFOAM - Organics International Training Kit on ICS for smallholder group certification for producer organizations. The version for organic inspectors and certification personnel can be accessed here.
Download the complete manuals:
- Training Manual - Booklet
- Training Manual - Slides
- Guidance Manual for Producer Organizations
Este es el courso de formación en la certificación de grupos de pequeños para organizaciones de productores. La versión para inspectores orgánicos y personal de certificación se puede acceder aquí.
Descargue los manuales completos:
- Courso de formación - Manual
- Courso de formación - Diapositivas
- Introduccion
- Organizacion del proyecto
- Manejo de riesgo
- Norma organica interna
- Registro de nuevos productores
- Inspecciones internas
- Estimaciones de produccion
- Aprobaciones internas y sanciones
- Documentacion del SCI
- Personal del SCI
- Capacitacion
- Compra, manejo, procesamiento & exportacion
- Inspeccion externa
- Manual de guía para organizaciones de productores
Ceci est le cours de formation de IFOAM - Organics International sur ICS pour la certification collective des paysans bio destiné aux organisations de producteurs. La version pour les inspecteurs biologiques et le personnel de certification peut être consultée ici.
Veuillez télécharger les manuels complets:
- Cours de Formation - Manuel
- Cours de Formation - Transparents
- Guide pour producteurs organisés
This is the Turkish Version IFOAM - Organics International Training Kit on ICS for smallholder group certification for producer organizations.
Download the complete manuals:
- Training Manual - Booklet
- Training Manual - Slides
- Guidance Manual for Producer Organizations
The Guidance on the EU Regulation 848 for grower groups and certification bodies
IFOAM - Organics International together with FIBL, and leading experts in the field have developed guidance to analyse and explain the implications and major changes of the new EU Organic Regulation 848 for producer groups and certification bodies worldwide.
These guidance were prepared with the financial support of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs – SECO within the OT4D Project
This is the English version of the guidance that aims to support existing and new grower groups in implementing Regulation 2018/848.
This is the English version of the guidance that aims to support certificaion bodies to conduct external control of groups according to the Regulation 2018/848.