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Defense and management organization

Clarification of environmental commitments in specifications [ODG].

At its meeting on December 7, 2021, the INAO permanent council validated the standard measure to be adopted when a GDO wishes to introduce the obligation of organic or environmental certification into the specifications of a SIQO. Here's an update on these new provisions.

To meet consumer expectations in terms of respect for animal welfare and the environment in agricultural production, INAO's permanent council has defined three options that can be adopted on a strictly voluntary basis by ODGs to commit their operators to an environmental approach. The most binding of these consists in introducing the obligation of official environmental certification in the SIQO specifications (environmental certification of farms or organic farming).

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GDOs determine the official certification(s) selected

A variable-geometry standard measure has been defined by the INAO permanent council in December 2021. Voluntary ODGs can choose the nature and level of official environmental certification(s) they wish to integrate into their specifications, by retaining one or more of the following options:

  • organic farming certification including the production workshop concerned by the SIQO;
  • level 3 environmental certification of farms, under the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code (CRPM);
  • level 2 environmental certification of farms, under the CRPM ;
  • membership of an approach benefiting from full equivalence recognition for level 2 environmental certification, under the CRPM;
  • membership of an approach benefiting from partial equivalence recognition for level 2 environmental certification for the workshop corresponding to SIQO production, under the CRPM. "

ATTENTION: An AB-certified farm is not deemed equivalent to level 2 or level 3-HVE environmental certification, as there is no logic of equivalence between these two certifications with distinct frames of reference. Thus, if the specifications only cited a requirement for environmental certification, producers already certified in AB would be forced to obtain environmental certification in addition to AB certification, which the professionals on the Permanent Council did not want.This is why the council recommended adding AB certification to the specifications as an alternative to environmental certification.

Documentary control based on certifications obtained by producers

To avoid duplicating the controls carried out during farm certification, the control system is based on the possession of documents proving that the certification or certifications mentioned in the specifications have been obtained: organic farming, 2nd or 3rd level environmental certification, adherence to an approach benefiting from total or partial recognition of equivalence, at level 2 of environmental certification. Control is carried out at the time of accreditation, then as part of the systematic internal documentary control carried out by the ODG, and during the external control carried out by the inspection body according to the frequency applicable to producers.

The treatment of breaches soon to be specified

If official environmental certification is included in the SIQO specifications, the absence or withdrawal of certification represents a breach that should lead to withdrawal of the benefit of the sign. This is the guarantee of the credibility of this commitment. Given what is at stake for producers, the Permanent Council has requested that a proportionate system adapted to the different types of certification be presented to it as soon as possible.

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