Inspector Responsibilities

1
Inspector Responsibilities

• Verify information provided by the applicant.
• Inspect premises
• Evaluate the farm
• Inform applicant about requirements
• Communicate with Certification Board

2
Verify

• Information on questionnaire/application
• Accuracy
• Past history of fields rotations
• Audit Trails/Records
• (See handout 7)
• Do inputs meet C.B. standards?
• Past Conditions - 3 years?

3
Inspection

• Gather information from operator - look and smell
• Examine all parts of operation - fields, barns,
  grain bins, equipment, check labels, etc.
• Borders - potential off-site contamination
• Obtain signatures
• Photographs

4
Evaluation

• Operators ability to meet organic standard
• Operators understanding of standards
• Control points - contamination/commingling
• (See handout 8)
• Audit trail records - ability to track
  production, handling marketing
• Areas of non-compliance

5
Inform Operators

• Organic standards - NOP
• CB Policies procedures
• Potential deficiencies - non-compliance (farm
  dump)
• Record requirements
• Cannot offer advice
• Can suggest reference materials, publications
• (See handout 9)

6
Communication

• With C.B. before, during and report to C.B.
• Let C.B. know if additional info is needed
• Submit clear, thorough concise reports
• List any concerns - non-compliance
• Are additional inspections or tests needed
• Conduct exit interviews with operator
• Confidential
• No conflict of interest
• (See handout 10, 11, 12, 13)

7
Organic Control Points

• Parallel Production - organic/conventional - same
  crop
• Split Production - organic/conventional -
  different crop
• Off farm inputs
• Treated seed/conventional seedlings
• Irrigation water
• Soil erosion
• Prohibited products - adjacent fields
• Shared equipment
• Poor/confusing records

8
Fraud

• Intentional use of prohibited materials
• Selling conventional as certified
• Exceeding percentages of ingredients
• Falsifying Documents
• (See handout 14)