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What is Organic Certification?

Organic certification is a process which ensures that agricultural and natural products – along with the methods used to produce, process, handle, and sell them – meet specific organic standards.

  • Main Purpose: Certification confirms that a product complies with the rules of a certain organic standard. In East Africa, the Kilimohai label is a well-known and trusted mark of organic certification.
  • Benefits: For consumers, certification ensures that products featuring an organic label were produced according to organic principles. For producers, organic certification helps them access special markets and consumers that are aware of the benefits of organic produce and thus pay higher prices.

Why is Certification Needed?

  • Consumer Confidence: Certification assures consumers that their desire for food produced without chemical is being met.
  • Marketing Advantage: A uniform organic label enhances the product’s image, credibility, visibility, and transparency.

Two Types of Kilimohai Organic Certification

Kilimohai Organic certification is a thorough system that ensures agricultural and natural products meet the strict standards of the East Africa Organic Products Standards (EAOPS). This certification covers the entire process, from production to retail, to ensure that each step and involved stakeholder follow organic principles. Kilimohai Organic involves two different types of certification processes, each designed for different groups within the organic industry:

Participatory Guarantee System (PGS)

The Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) is a participatory group-based certification process. As it doesn’t involve an external certification body, this certification is ideal for farmers and producers who may not need or cannot afford the more formal and expensive third-party certification (see below). The key features of PGS certification are:

  • Community-Based Approach: PGS relies on active participation and mutual trust among farmers, other stakeholders within the local community, and consumers. Peer reviews and collective decision-making ensure that the involved farmers comply with the organic standards.
  • Accessibility and Affordability: By reducing the administrative burdens and external costs for certification, PGS makes organic certification more accessible to small-scale farmers when forming producer groups for that purpose.
  • Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing: PGS certification involves regular training sessions and workshops, allowing the involved producers to share their knowledge and best practices related to organic farming. This continuous learning process enhances the overall quality and sustainability of organic production.

Third-Party Certification

Third-party certification is an independent process where an external organization, a so-called certification body, assesses and verifies that products were produced according to organic guidelines. Third party certification is mostly mandatory for exporting organic produce, where accredited certification bodies are involved to ensure that certain produce meet international organic standards. Key aspects of third-party certification include:

  1. Thorough Auditing and Compliance: Third-party certification involves careful inspections by independent organizations. These audits review every step of the production process, from sourcing materials to final packaging, to ensure everything meets the organic standards.
  2. Market Access and Credibility: Getting third-party certification provides producers new business opportunities, especially relating to exports. The more rigorous inspection and certification process boosts the credibility of the involved products and opens doors for new international markets where certified organic products are highly valued.
  3. Traceability and Transparency: Third-party certification have a strong handle on traceability along the value chain, from farm to fork. This transparency helps build consumer trust and strengthens the reputation of organic products.

Overall, both PGS and Third Party Certification ensure that Kilimohai Organic labelled products comply with the sustainable farming practices implied by the East Africa Organic Products Standards (EAOPS). Thanks to these organic certification procedures, Kilimohai organic continues to champion the growth of the organic movement in Kenya and East Africa, fostering a more sustainable and health-conscious future for all, while empowering farmers committed to sustainable production practices.

PGS Certification

Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certification is a decentralized and participatory approach to organic certification, primarily intended for small-scale farmers and local markets. It is designed to be an alternative to third-party certification, offering a simpler, more accessible, and cost-effective way for farmers to certify their products as organic. In Kenya, certification is based on the East African Organic Products Standards (EAOPS), for which Kenya Organic Agricultural Network (KOAN) acts as their custodian. Here’s how PGS certification works for different stakeholders: farmers, traders, processors, and retailers.

  • Formation of Groups: Farmers form or join a PGS group, which is usually composed of like-minded producers in a community. Groups ideally also involve other stakeholders, e.g. traders, processors, consumers. The group is then part of a larger PGS network.
  • Training and Awareness: Farmers receive training on organic practices, PGS standards, and the certification process. Trainings are offered by local NGOs specialized in the topic or by KOAN.
  • Internal Standards: Each PGS group develops or adopts a set of internals rules that align with the East African Organic Products Standards (EAOPS). These rules clarify for which aspects data from each individual farmer is collected and shared at the group level. Such data covers mainly: cultivated areas and crop rotation, number of livestock, use of organic inputs, and measures to control pests and enhance soil fertility etc.
  • Peer Reviews: Certification is based on a peer review process. Members of the group conduct inspections of each other’s farms to ensure compliance with organic standards. These reviews are conducted periodically.
  • Documentation: Farmers maintain records of their farming practices, inputs used, and crop production. These records are reviewed during peer inspections.
  • Certification Decision: After the peer review, the PGS group collectively decides whether a farmer meets the organic standards. If so, the farmer is granted PGS certification.
  • Continual Monitoring: PGS is an ongoing process. Regular monitoring and follow-up inspections ensure that standards are maintained. Selected outside experts monitor each group and verify that the review and documentation process plus decision-making is well-implemented.
  • Organic Farmers Markets: Farmers may also engage and develop in own marketing activities, especially forming as a group organic sections within existing local markets; or create own sales points along the road. For this, they can use the Kilimohai Organic label to promote and label their organic produce.
  • Sourcing: Traders sourcing products from PGS-certified farmers must ensure that the products retain their organic integrity throughout the supply chain. This involves careful selection of PGS-certified farmers and maintaining documentation of all transactions.
  • Product Handling: Traders must handle organic products separate from other, conventional produce. This involves the physical separation when storing and shipping produce.
  • Transparency: Traders should provide clear and transparent information about the origins and handling of PGS-certified products to their buyers.
  • Labelling: Traders can label products as PGS-certified organic only if they are sourced from certified farms and the integrity of organic practices has been maintained throughout handling. In Kenya, the Kilimohai Organic label is used for this.
  • Potential Group Participation: Traders may be involved in the PGS group, participating in decision-making or inspections. This has the advantage that traders have dee insight into organic production while knowing the farmers that act as suppliers. Such group participation allows also important discussions on how to further increase production and quality – especially in moments where the demand is higher than the supply.
  • Organic Integrity: Processors must ensure that the organic integrity of the organic products they sell is maintained during transformation activities. This includes the physical separation from non-organic products and using only approved organic additives or ingredients.
  • Record Keeping: Detailed records of processing activities, ingredients used, and final products must be kept. These records may be subject to PGS inspection.
  • Organic Inspections: Processors undergo inspections similar to farmers, where the compliance with organic processing standards are verified.
  • Certification and Labelling: Once compliance is verified, the processed products can be labelled with the Kilimohai Organic mark.
  • Product Handling: Retailers must ensure that PGS-certified products are handled in a way that preserves their organic integrity. This includes proper storage, display, and separation from non-organic products.
  • Labeling and Communication: Retailers can label and promote PGS certified organic products by using the Kilimohai Organic mark.
  • Documentation: Retailers should maintain records of their suppliers and the PGS-certified products they carry, ensuring traceability back to the certified farmers and processors.
  • Consumer Education: Retailers often play a key role in educating consumers about Kilimohai Organic and PGS, explaining the participatory nature of the certification and its benefits for both consumers and producers.

If you are interested in PGS certification or starting an organic business, you may want to contact KOAN for further inquiries.

Third-party certification

Third-party certification is a formal inspection process involving accredited certification bodies to verify that products and production systems comply with established organic standards. This type of certification is essential for products intended for export and international markets, providing a high level of credibility and assurance for consumers and buyers worldwide. Here, the organic standards relate to those used in the target countries, i.e. the export markets. Most important here is the European Organic Standard (EU Organic) and the U.S. Organic Standard (NOP).

Essentially, Third-Party Certification is relevant for those stakeholders that are involved in organic supply chains that relate to export markets, i.e. farmers, processors, and traders/exporters. Important: Third-party certified organic produce can also be sold in the local market by using the Kilimohai Organic mark. Here, what third-party certification implies for the different actors:

  • Global Market Access: Third-party certification enables farmers to access international markets where certified organic products are in high demand. This access can lead to increased sales and revenue for farmers.
  • Stringent Compliance: Farmers must adhere to strict organic standards and undergo rigorous audits, ensuring that their practices meet international quality and safety requirements.
  • Special rules for smallholder groups: Third-party certification involves special rules for smallholders that are organized in cooperatives. Here, so-called Internal Control Systems (ICS) are possible, where data is collected and gathered at the group level. This data is then reviewed by Certification bodies as part of the inspection process, where also individual farms are randomly visited to ensure the compliance with the organic standards.
  • International Recognition: Third-party certification provides traders with internationally recognized credentials, which allows them to trade the certified produce and sell them to buyers in the target market(s).
  • Supply Chain Transparency: Certified traders are part of and benefit from a transparent supply chain, with traceability and accountability at every stage of production and distribution.
  • Quality Assurance and Consistency: Processors certified by third-party bodies must comply with the rules of the international organic standard. They are inspected by independent certification bodies who verify this compliance.
  • Market Differentiation: Organic Certification allows processors to differentiate their products in the marketplace, even more so if they can claim that they comply with international organic standards.

If you are interested in third-party certification, you may want to contact a Certification Body for further inquiries. Certification Bodies are independent organizations responsible for conducting audits and assessments to verify compliance with organic standards. Their role is crucial in maintaining the credibility and reliability of the certification process. These bodies possess the expertise and authority to evaluate organic practices, ensuring that certified products meet the highest standards of quality, safety, and sustainability.