OCIA International - Organic Certification

Frequently Asked Questions when Applying for Certification

Q: How do I apply for certification?

Organic requirements vary dependant upon where you are located and where you are selling. You will need to be aware of the standards and regulations that apply to the region that you are certifying in, as well as any countries, or regions that you are selling to. For instance, to sell a product as organic in the United States, you must be certified to the National Organic Program (NOP). If your operation is located in Québec, Canada, you must be certified to the Conseil des Appellations Agroalimentaires du Québec (CAAQ). One important point to remember is that no prohibited materials may have been used for 3 years prior to the first organic harvest.
Get Certified Six Steps to Certification
Q: Will I need an application for each OCIA program?

Complete the Application that best fits your operation. The OCIA basic application materials will cover certifications to NOP, IFOAM, CAAQ Certifications and EU, Swiss Ordinance and JAS Equivalency verifications. So there is no need to fill out an application for each program you select. However, JAS and Bio-Suisse certification do require additional materials.
OCIA Certification and Verification Programs
Q: How do I submit my application?

Once you have filled out the necessary application paperwork for your certification program(s) and program type(s), please submit your documents to a regional office near you, or your local chapter representative.
Regional Offices
Chapter Offices
USA Canada Latin America
If you have a general question, please contact us at info@ocia.org or at (402) 477-2323.

Certification Programs & Accreditations

Q: To what programs does OCIA certify?

As a nonprofit, member-owned organization, OCIA is committed to providing its members with the highest quality organic certification as well as access to the global organic markets. In keeping with this commitment, OCIA offers certification to the following standards and regulations:
OCIA Certification & Verification Programs
Q: Will I need an application for each OCIA program?

Complete the Application that best fits your operation. The OCIA basic application materials will cover certifications to NOP, IFOAM, CAAQ Certifications and EU, Swiss Ordinance and JAS Equivalency verifications. So there is no need to fill out an application for each program you select. However, JAS and Bio-Suisse certification do require additional materials.
OCIA Certification and Verification Programs
Operation Types

Q: What types of operations does OCIA certify?

OCIA offers programs for many different types of operations. To get the documents you need to certify, click on the link below that best describes your type of operation:
Farm/Livestock
Processor/Handler (including grain milling, seed cleaning, coffee roasting)
Broker, Trader Community Grower Group Private Label
Q: What type of commodities does OCIA certify?

OCIA certifies a variety of crops, livestock and production processes. Some examples include: coffee; bananas; mangos; pineapples; cashews; oranges and citrus fruits; papaya; cassava; tea; herbs/spices; grapes; wine; corn; olives; olive oil; palm; palm oil; wheat; soybeans; sugar cane; apples; berries; dairy products; rice; and tropical and temperate fruits in general.

Q: Does OCIA offer any specialty certifications?

OCIA also offers the following Specialty Certifications:

Greenhouse
Honey/Apiaries
Maple Syrup
Production
Mushroom/Sprouts Production
Wild Sea
Vegetables
Wildcrafting
Coffee
Producers (including Shade-Grown)
Personal Care Products

Q: Which operations fall under OCIA's Farm/Producers category?

Operations which grow or produce food, feed, fiber crops or livestock. (This may also include some on-farm processing.)
Farm/Livestock Application
Q: Which operations fall under OCIA's Processor/Handler category?

Operations which perform any type of processing operation, including: cooking, baking, heating, drying, mixing, grinding, churning, separating, extracting, cutting, fermenting, slaughtering, eviscerating, preserving, dehydrating, freezing, or otherwise manufacturing, including packaging, canning, jarring, or otherwise enclosing in a container, other than normal post harvest packing of crops performed by a producer.
Processor/Handler Application
Q: Which operations fall under OCIA's Broker/Trader category?

Agents or agencies who negotiate sales contracts on behalf of shippers and/or buyers. Any handling or repacking, etc. would be considered a Processor/Handler.
Broker/Trader Application
Q: Does my warehouse need to be certified?

Please see Section Six of the OCIA International Certification Standards and/or Subpart B - Applicability of the National Organic Program Final Rule to determine whether your Warehousing operation needs to be certified. If you have any questions, please contact OCIA International.

Q: Which operations fall under OCIA's Livestock category?

Operations that handle cattle, sheep, goats, swine, poultry, domesticated game, bees or other cultivated animals raised for food, fiber, or the production of food or fiber.

File Review & Decision

Q: Who reviews my file?

The Certification Decision Team will review your file, complete with the application information, inspection report, and all accompanying information. This review verifies that your operation is in compliance with certification requirements.

Q: When can I expect a decision?

A decision should be made within 60 days.

Q: How will I be notified of my certification?

If your operation is found to be in compliance, OCIA will send you a Certificate of Organic Certification. This certificate will list your certified products, as well as the specific certification program(s) that your products have been certified under. A letter and checklist will accompany your certificate, and will give guidance on what can be done to improve your organic operation. Your certification will remain in effect until it is surrendered, suspended or revoked. However, annual update forms and inspections are required to maintain your OCIA organic certification.

Inspections

Q: How does the inspection process work?

Once OCIA International has received your application, a certification coordinator will review the information for completeness. If the application is complete, the coordinator will assign an OCIA-approved inspector to visit your operation. An authorized representative of your operation must be available to answer questions during the inspection. The inspector will send the inspection report directly to OCIA International. A copy of the inspection report will also be sent to you so that you will be able to add supplemental information.

Transaction Certificates

Q: What is a transaction certificate?

Transaction Certificates (TCs) help to track OCIA-certified products from the grower to the grocery shelf. It verifies the origin of the product and is point of sale proof that the product purchased was grown in accordance with the standards for one of OCIA's International Programs.

Q: How do I request a TC?

After you sell your product, you can fill out a TCA (Transaction Certificate Authorization) form and send that to the International Office, or enter your own TC information online. TCs are generated within 48 hours of receipt. The Transaction Certificate Guidelines have more helpful hints on filling out your TCA

Q: Can I get a TC online?

Yes. OCIA's online Transaction Certificate System allows members to enter their own TCs from their business or home computers. Members can print out a copy of the TC they enter with a water mark stating that the document is a "Provisional Certificate." Members must have a password to use the online TC system. An initial password will be assigned and can later be changed. To obtain a password contact:tcdept@ocia.org

Q: What information is necessary to get a TC?

The TCA form asks for specific information, and is a very simple form to fill out. The key things are:

the buyer and seller information;
the crop year;
the commodity;
the quantity;
the unit of measure; and
the lot number.
Q: How long does it take to get my official TC document?

Within 48 hours from the time the TC department receives your TCA. Then, the TC will be processed and mailed to both the buyer and the seller.

Q: Isn't the TC automatically faxed to my buyer?

No. If you want your TC to be faxed to your buyer you need to request that before the TC is processed. The easiest way to do that is to write, "Fax to Buyer" on your TCA form. Be sure it is bold and noticeable.

Q: When should I ask for a TC?

Right after you make a sell. To get all the information necessary on the TCA, you will need to know the exact weights and dollar amounts.

Q: Why do I have to provide the dollar amount to get a TC when I haven't even been paid?

The dollar amount is helpful to the accounting department in calculating user fees. As such, it is a mandatory piece of information. The seller usually has an idea of what they should receive per bushel or per pound etc. for their product. Please calculate the price based on the information you have and if you need to ask for a revision of the TC you can do so at a later time.

Q: I sell my crop right from my field, so there is no storage. How do I fill out the lot number?

For this situation just write in the field number the crop came from. Example: Field 1

Q: How can my buyers verify that I am OCIA-certified?

If your operation is approved, you will receive a copy of your Master Certificate, a decision letter and a checklist which outline recommendations and requirements for your organization. Once certified, you may also use our online Transaction Certificate system. This allows your operation to request a sale-by-sale certificate that guarantees that OCIA International has certified your product.

JAS Certification

Q: How do I apply for JAS certification?

If you are applying for JAS certification, please submit the following forms:
JAS Certification FPP/FPPMO Application -OR- JAS Certification Manufacturer Application -OR- JAS Certification Repacker Application JAS Grading Record JAS Certification Agreement
Submit completed form(s), fees, and supporting documents to a regional office near you, or to your Chapter administrator.

Community Grower Groups (CGGs)

Q: What is a Community Grower Group?

A Community Grower Group (CGG) is a group of producers located in an economically disadvantaged region of the world. The producers in the CGG must be committed to sustainable agricultural practices for their geographic region. The CGG must also be located in the same geographic area with members in close proximity to each other. The important factor is that ecological and production conditions influencing all members of the CGG might reasonably be expected to be similar throughout the region.

Management of grower/harvester group is centralized, i.e. formally organized as a crop improvement group, and they market their product through the group as a single entity. Individual producers cannot use the certification independently (e.g., by marketing certified organic product outside of the group).

Q: Does my operation qualify as a Community Grower Group?

Please review OCIA's CGG Certification Policy manual to determine whether your organization is eligible for Community Grower Group certification. Please submit all documentation specified in OCIA's CGG Certification Policy, in addition to: OCIA CGG Organic Farm Plan Questionnaire OR if applicable, CGG Organic Coffee Farm Plan Questionnaire OCIA International, Inc.