International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements

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International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements
Presentation of IFOAMs Social Standards
Uniting the Organic World
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IFOAM BASIC STANDARDS (IBS) -

• A Standard for Standards
• The IFOAM Basic Standards provide a framework
  for certification bodies and standard-setting
  organizations worldwide to develop their own
  certification standards and cannot be used for
  certification on their own

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IBS - Chapter 8 Social Standards

• Became part of the IBS after profound revision in
  August 2002
• Have to be implemented by the IFOAM Accredited
  Certification Bodies until August 2004 (two years
  later)

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General Principle

• Social justice and social rights are an integral
  part of organic agriculture and processing

General Principles are the intended goals of
organic production and processing
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Recommendations (I)

• Operators should comply with all ILO conventions
  relating to labor welfare and the UN Charter of
  Rights for Children.
• All employees and their families should have
  access to potable water, food, housing,
  education, transportation and health services.
• Operators should provide for the basic social
  security needs of the employees, including
  benefits such as maternity, sickness and
  retirement benefit.

Recommendations are practical suggestions for
operators to implement. IFOAM promotes the
recommendations as desirable practices, but does
not require operators to use them
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Recommendations (II)

• All employees should have equal opportunity and
  adequate wages when performing the same level of
  work regardless of color, creed and gender.
• Workers should have adequate protection from
  noise, dust, light and exposure to chemicals that
  should be within acceptable limits in all
  production and processing operations.

Recommendations are practical suggestions for
operators to implement. IFOAM promotes the
recommendations as desirable practices, but does
not require operators to use them
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Recommendations (III)

• Operators should respect the rights of indigenous
  peoples, and should not use or exploit land whose
  inhabitants or farmers have been or are being
  impoverished, dispossessed, colonized, expelled,
  exiled or killed, or which is currently in
  dispute regarding legal or customary local rights
  to its use or ownership.
• Contracts should be fair, open to negotiation,
  and honored in good faith.

Recommendations are practical suggestions for
operators to implement. IFOAM promotes the
recommendations as desirable practices, but does
not require operators to use them
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Basic Standards (I)

• 8.1. Operators shall have a policy on social
  justice. Operators who hire fewer than ten (10)
  persons for labor and those who operate under a
  state system that enforces social laws may not be
  required to have such a policy.
• 8.2. In cases where production is based on
  violation of basic human rights and clear cases
  of social injustice, that product cannot be
  declared as organic.
• 8.3. Standards shall require that operators not
  use forced or involuntary labor.

Basic Standards are the minimum requirements that
an operation must meet to be certified organic.
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Basic standards (II)

• 8.4. Employees and contractors of organic
  operations have the freedom to associate, the
  right to organize and the right to bargain
  collectively.
• 8.5. Operators shall provide their employees and
  contractors equal opportunity and treatment, and
  shall not act in a discriminatory way.
• 8.6. Children employed by organic operators
  shall be provided with educational opportunities.

Basic Standards are the minimum requirements that
an operation must meet to be certified organic.
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How are IFOAM BASIC Standards be revised or new
ones added ?
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Standards Development Procedure

• Standards Committee Revision Plan to be approved
  by the WB
• 1. Standards Committee - Draft Revision
• Stakeholder Comments - members others
• 2. Standards Committee - 2nd Draft Revision
• Stakeholder Comments - members others
• 3. Standards Committee - Final Draft
• World Board Review

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Standards Decision Procedure
Final Draft
Member Motions
Consultation between Motion presenter, NMC
and SC
Consensus reached
Consensus not reached
Member Vote
World Board Vote
No Quorum
Quorum
Decision
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Uniting the Organic World