Certification and Education
Before you buy organic products, you  need to know whether they are genuinely organic. One of the best ways to find out is to look for organic certification logos on the labels. Below are some of the important certification bodies around the world that ensure the production, storage and processing of organic food are done within strict guidelines. 

Understanding Organic Certification
Country Farm Organics is obtaining organic certification for all its warehousing and packing facilities. Why is it important for us to spend money and effort to do that? What exactly is organic certification? Why all the hoo-hah? Jeanne Wong, our Administrator who is also the Project Manager in charge of CFO Organic Certification, shares why the organic certification and having organic labels are important to you, our customers.

My mother frequently complains about the authenticity of organic products. "How do I know if they are really organic?" she often questions the retailers. Many organic consumers, like my mother, are worried about buying fake organic products from unscrupulous suppliers. The prices of organic products are obviously much higher than conventional ones. Organic products cost more because of the stringent processes and high expenditure involved in protecting the crops against pests with natural means, without cheap pesticides and chemicals. I personally met some local organic farmers who suffer in silence when their crops are wiped out by sudden pest-attacks. In spite of their losses they continue to grow organic vegetables and fruits without resorting to conventional chemical means. They believe that their farming method is best for the environment and the future of the world. This may sound ridiculous but it is true that most organic producers are passionate about what they do - promoting health and safeguarding the environment for future generations.

On the other hand, there are also parties who take advantage of the emerging organic industry by over-claiming or presenting conventional products as organic ones. Conventional products are easily produced at low cost. When irresponsible retailers claim that their conventional products as organic, they have the opportunity to sell at a premium price and reap huge profits. This is very sad but it is happening. I have observed many such fake organic products in the marketplace. What are some of my advice for my mother and other organic consumers? Look for labels that identify the products as authentically certified by a recognized certifying body. If in doubt, ask to look at the organic certificates.

Lastly we have 3rd Party Market certification, where the claims of the 1st party (producer) and 2nd party (market actor) is verified by a professional certification body such as USDA, OCIA, SKAL, ACO, ECOCERT, ACT, ICEA and etc. There are more than 400 bodies claiming to offer organic certification services. Some are governmental agencies while most are private organizations. Once the product has established the 3rd Party Market certification, you can be assured that the product is produced according to the organic standards.