≠ EDICT ± OF GOVERNMENT In order to promote public education and public safety, equal justice for all, a better informed citizenry, the rule of law, world trade and world peace, this legal document is hereby made available on a noncommercial basis, as it is the right of all humans to know and speak the laws that govern them. EAS 456 (2007) (English): Organic products standard EAS 456:2007 ICS 67.020 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD East African organic products standard EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY © EAC 2007 First Edition 2007 EAS 456:2007 Foreword Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements governing quality of products and services in East Africa. It is envisaged that through harmonized standardization, trade barriers which are encountered when goods and services are exchanged within the Community will be removed. In order to achieve this objective, the Partner States in the Community through their National Bureaux of Standards, have established an East African Standards Committee. The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, together with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the Partner States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures of the Community. East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards they are implementing. © East African Community 2007 — All rights reserved* East African Community P O Box 1096 Arusha Tanzania Tel: 255 27 2504253/8 Fax: 255-27-2504481/2504255 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: www.each.int *  2007 EAC — All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for EAC Partner States’ NSBs. ii © EAC 2007 — All rights reserved EAS 456:2007 Introduction The history, culture and community values of East Africans are embedded in agriculture. It is the most important source of livelihoods for millions of East Africans. The sustainable management of the agriculture production process is therefore crucial if livelihoods are to be sustained. Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system, which promotes and enhances agro- ecosystem health, including bio-diversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It seeks to minimise the use of external inputs, avoiding the use of synthetic drugs, fertilizers and pesticides and aims at optimising the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people. It builds on East Africa’s rich heritage of indigenous knowledge combined with modern science, technologies and practices. The aims of organic agriculture are summarised in the four principles of health, ecology, fairness and care which inspire the worldwide organic movement. See Annex A. The East African organic products standard has been written for organic production in East Africa and has been adapted to conditions in East Africa. The purpose is to have a single organic standard for organic agriculture production under East African conditions. This East African organic products standard has been based on organic standards currently in place in the region as well as the IFOAM Basic Standards and the Codex Alimentarius guidelines for the production, processing, labelling and marketing of organically produced foods. The East African organic products standard can be used for self-assessment by producers, declarations of conformity in the marketplace, certification by certification bodies in the region, or other kinds of verification. If the standard is used for the purposes of third-party certification, inspection and certification should be carried out in accordance to international norms, such as ISO Guide 65 or the IFOAM Accreditation Criteria. If adherence to the standard is verified through other mechanisms, those mechanisms shall adhere to the principles of competency, integrity and transparency. The standard is intended for the development of organic production and trade in the East African region. The standards can be a platform for a common label for organic products in East Africa and for developing consumer trust. The standard also formulates standpoints which can be used in international negotiations on standards. Further, it can be a basis for equivalence agreements with other countries and regions. The East African organic products standard has been written in a way to make it easy for the reader and user to access and understand. Because of the need for organic agriculture to be adapted to local conditions, the standard is not overly prescriptive. The standard covers plant production, animal husbandry, bee-keeping, wild production and processing, and products therefrom, regardless of their final use. In the future, other areas will be incorporated as the need arises. Because organic agriculture is dynamic, and new knowledge is continuously being generated, this standard will be revised regularly to incorporate new knowledge. The revisions will involve consultations with the stakeholders. © EAC 2007 — All rights reserved iii EAS 456:2007 Contents 1 Scope.............................................................................................................................................1 2 Normative references.....................................................................................................................1 3 Terms and definitions.....................................................................................................................1 4 General requirements for organic production.................................................................................4 4.1 General..................................................................................................................................4 4.2 Documentation and transparency..........................................................................................4 4.3 Contamination........................................................................................................................4 4.4 Genetically modified organisms.............................................................................................4 4.5 Social justice..........................................................................................................................5 4.6 Adherence to relevant legislation..........................................................................................5 4.7 Knowledge about organic production....................................................................................5 5 Crop production..............................................................................................................................5 5.1 Conversion time and requirements........................................................................................5 5.2 Farm conversion and parallel production..............................................................................5 5.3 Biodiversity.............................................................................................................................6 5.4 Farming system diversity.......................................................................................................6 5.5 Soil and water conservation, including erosion control.........................................................6 5.6 Soil fertility management.......................................................................................................6 5.7 Pest, disease and weed management..................................................................................7 5.8 Seeds, seedlings, and planting materials..............................................................................7 5.9 Mushroom production............................................................................................................7 5.10 Contamination........................................................................................................................7 5.11 Draught animals.....................................................................................................................8 6 Animal husbandry...........................................................................................................................8 6.1 Conversion and brought-in animals.......................................................................................8 6.2 Parallel production.................................................................................................................8 6.3 Animal management..............................................................................................................8 6.4 Breeding.................................................................................................................................9 6.5 Mutilations..............................................................................................................................9 6.6 Animal nutrition......................................................................................................................9 6.7 Parasite and disease management.....................................................................................10 6.8 Transport and slaughter.......................................................................................................11 7 Bee-keeping.................................................................................................................................11 7.1 Conversion and brought-in bees and swarms.....................................................................11 7.2 Location and construction....................................................................................................11 7.3 Feed.....................................................................................................................................12 7.4 Husbandry............................................................................................................................12 7.5 Harvest.................................................................................................................................12 8 Wild collection...............................................................................................................................13 9 Handling, storage and processing................................................................................................13 9.1 Separation............................................................................................................................13 9.2 Ingredients...........................................................................................................................13 9.3 Technologies.......................................................................................................................13 9.4 Additives and processing aids.............................................................................................13 9.5 Food fortification..................................................................................................................14 9.6 Packaging materials............................................................................................................14 9.7 Hygiene and pest management...........................................................................................14 10 Labelling...................................................................................................................................14 Annex A (informative) IFOAM principles of organic agriculture...........................................................15 Annex B (informative) List of substances which may be used in organic plant production.................17 Annex C (informative) List of natural substances which may not be used in organic plant production ..............................................................................................................................................................20 Annex D (informative) List of additives and processing aids for organic food processing..................21 iv © EAC 2007 — All rights reserved EAST AFRICAN STANDARD EAS 456:2007 East African organic products standard 1 Scope This East African Standard provides requirements for organic production. It covers plant production, animal husbandry, bee-keeping, the collection of wild products, and the processing and labelling of the products therefrom. It does not cover procedures for verification such as inspection or certification of products. 2 Normative references This East African Standard incorporates by dated or undated reference, provisions from other publications. These normative references are cited at the appropriate places in the text and the publications are listed hereafter. For dated references, subsequent amendments to or revisions of any of these publications apply to this East African Standard only when incorporated in it by amendment or revision. For undated references the latest edition of the publication referred to applies. CAC/GL 32, Codex Alimentarius — Guidelines for the production, processing, labelling, and marketing of organically produced foods IFOAM Basic Standards for Organic Production and Processing. Version 2005. 3 Terms and definitions For the purposes of this standard, the following definitions apply: 3.1 biodiversity the variety of life: it includes genetic diversity (i.e., diversity within and among species), species diversity (i.e., the number and variety of species), and ecosystem diversity (total number of ecosystem types) 3.2 breeding selection of plants or animals to reproduce or to further develop desired characteristics in succeeding generations 3.3 buffer zone a clearly defined and identifiable boundary area bordering an organic production site and adjacent areas that is established to avoid contact with substances which shall not be used according to this standard 3.4 child a person under the specified age in the respective national legislations. In cases involving employment in hazardous sectors, child denotes a person under the age of 18 years 3.5 child labour any employment that interferes with the legal rights of a child and culturally appropriate educational needs 3.6 contamination © EAC 2007 — All rights reserved 1 EAS 456:2007 pollution of organic product or land or contact with any material that would render the product unsuitable for organic production or as an organic product 3.7 conventional any material, production, or processing practice that is not organic or organic “in-conversion” 3.8 conversion period the time between the start of organic management and the time when crops and animal products qualify as organic 3.9 crop rotation the practice of alternating the species or families of annual and/or biennial crops grown in a certain field in a pattern or sequence so as to break weed, pest and disease cycles and to maintain or improve soil fertility and the content of organic matter 3.10 food additive any substance not normally consumed as a food by itself and not normally used as a typical ingredient of the food, whether or not it has nutritive value, the intentional addition of which to food for a technological (including organoleptic) purpose in the manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, packing, packaging, transport or holding of such food results, or may be reasonably expected to result, (directly or indirectly) in it or its by-products becoming a component of or otherwise affecting the characteristics of such foods. The term does not include contaminants, or substances added to food for maintaining or improving nutritional qualities, or sodium chloride 3.11 food fortification the addition of one or more essential nutrients to a food, whether or not it is normally contained in the food, for the purpose of preventing or correcting a demonstrated deficiency of one or more nutrients in the population or specific population groups 3.12 genetic engineering a set of techniques from molecular biology (such as recombinant DNA) by which the genetic material of plants, animals, microorganisms, cells and other biological units are altered in ways or with results that could not be obtained by methods of natural mating and reproduction or natural recombination. Techniques of genetic modification include, but are not limited to, recombinant DNA, cell fusion, micro and macro injection, encapsulation, gene deletion and doubling. Genetically engineered organisms do not include organisms resulting from techniques such as conjugation, transduction and natural hybridization 3.13 genetically modified organism (GMO) a plant, animal or microbe that has been transformed by genetic engineering 3.14 green manure a crop that is incorporated into the soil for the purpose of soil improvement and which may include spontaneous crops, plants or weeds 3.15 habitat the area over which a plant or animal species naturally exists; the area where a species occurs. It is also used to indicate types of habitat, e.g., seashore, riverbank, woodland, and grassland 3.16 2 © EAC 2007 — All rights reserved EAS 456:2007 ingredient any substance, including a food additive, used in the manufacture or preparation of food and non-food products and present in the final product (although possibly in a modified form) 3.17 ionizing radiation processing of food products by gamma rays, X-rays or accelerated electrons capable of altering a food’s molecular structure for the purpose of controlling microbial contaminants, pathogens, parasites and pests in food, preserving food or inhibiting physiological processes such as sprouting or ripening 3.18 label any written, printed or graphic representation that is present on a product, accompanies the product or is displayed near the product 3.19 operator an individual or organization responsible for ensuring that the production system and the products meet this standard 3.20 organic refers to the farming system and products described in this standard. Organic does not refer to organic chemistry 3.21 organic agriculture a farming system in compliance with this standard 3.22 organic product a product which has been produced, processed and handled in compliance with this standard 3.23 organic seed and planting material seed and planting material that is produced by organic agriculture 3.24 parallel production any production in which the same unit is growing, breeding, handling or processing the same products in both an organic and a non-organic system. A situation with organic and in-conversion production of the same product is also parallel production 3.25 processing aid any substance (not including apparatuses or utensils) not consumed as a food itself and which is used in the processing of raw materials, foods, or ingredients to fulfil a certain technical purpose during treatment or processing and which may result in the presence of residues or derivatives in the final product 3.26 propagation the reproduction of plants sexually (i.e., seed) or asexually (i.e., cuttings, root division) 3.27 shall a required state or action 3.29 should © EAC 2007 — All rights reserved 3 EAS 456:2007 a recommended, desirable or expected state or action 3.30 synthetic manufactured by chemical and industrial processes. Includes products not found in nature or simulation of products from natural sources (but not extracted from natural raw materials) 3.31 synthetic pesticide synthetic product intended to prevent, eliminate or control a pest 3.32 traceability the ability to follow the movement of a food through specified stage(s) of production, processing and distribution 3.33 in-convrsion a crop which is grown both as organic and non-organic (conventional or in-conversion) on the same farm 4 General requirements for organic production 4.1 General The requirements of this clause shall apply to all categories of organic production and to all operators. 4.2 Documentation and transparency 4.2.1 The operator shall maintain records of the production, appropriate for the scale of production and the ability of the operator. 4.2.2 The operator shall give interested parties relevant information about the production. 4.2.3 The operator shall maintain a system for traceability of organic products. 4.3 Contamination 4.3.1 The operator shall avoid using chemical products that may endanger human health or the environment. Where there are products that are considered to be less harmful, they shall be used. 4.3.2 The operator shall take relevant precautionary measures to avoid the contamination of organic sites and products. Where there is a reasonable suspicion of substantial contamination by, for example, soil, water, air, inputs or ingredients, appropriate actions shall be taken. Litter and production waste, both on farms and in processing, shall be handled in such a way that they do not contaminate the organic products or the environment. Chemical products shall be properly labelled and safely stored. 4.3.3 Contamination of organic products that results from circumstances beyond the control of the operator may alter the organic status of the operation, the product or both. 4.4 Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) 4.4.1 Genetically modified organisms or their derivatives shall not be used or introduced through negligence or oversight. This includes animals, seed, propagation material, farm inputs such as fertilizers, soil conditioners and crop-protection materials. 4 © EAC 2007 — All rights reserved