CERES
CERES certifies organic and ecological agriculture, organic food processing, good agricultural practice and good management practice in the food industry, organic textiles and sustainable biofuels.
Certifications
Öko Caribe has held organic certification since 2007, and its cacao is certified for both the European and the United States markets.
EU Organic Farming
Producing organic products and placing them on the European market requires a strict process that must be followed in full. Conventional farmers must first go through a conversion period of at least four years before they can produce food that may be marketed as organic.
Both farmers and food processors must comply with the rules set out in EU regulation, and both are subject to inspection by the bodies or authorities that verify compliance. Operators that pass those inspections obtain organic certification and may label their products accordingly.
USDA / NOP
This is the organic certification for agricultural, livestock and wild harvested products under USDA NOP rules, for the United States market.
Organic farming comes down to a few basic ideas: soil fertility is maintained or improved, no artificial chemicals such as pesticides or synthetic nitrogen fertilisers are used or produced, and animal welfare is safeguarded. USDA organic certification is based on the National Organic Program standards created by the United States Department of Agriculture.
