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Oscar Morales
What is Organic Certification LPO?
More than 46,000 producers, mainly small and medium-sized, produce organic food on more than 331,000 hectares, generating profits of 400 million dollars a year. Due to the international demand for organic products and the added value they provide to consumers, 80 percent of total production in Mexico is exported to large markets, mainly the United States, Canada, and the European Union, generating an economic spillover of more than 400 million dollars a year.
Certified organic products comply with the Organic Products Law, its regulations, and the Organic Production Guidelines Agreement, which establish the inputs that producers must use and the practices they must implement, from the origin of the seed, soil management, nutrition, pest and disease control, harvesting, processing, and marketing to provide confidence in organic integrity. Differentiate your products by becoming certified by Scientific Certification Systems de México.
Why Choose Scientific Certification Systems de México?
SCS de México has extensive experience in organic certification and works successfully with innovative growers and handlers around the world to promote responsible agricultural practices. Certification through SCS de México offers the unique opportunity to actively market your pesticide-residue-free status during the mandatory three-year transition period to organic farming. You can even save time and money by combining your organic certification with complementary certification, auditing, and testing services, including USDA National Organic Program, Non-GMO Project Verification, Sustainably Grown Fair Trade, and SCS Gluten-Free certification.
The LPO approval corresponds to SCIENTIFIC CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS DE MEXICO SA DE CV (SCS GLOBAL SERVICES – MEXICO OFFICE)
Comuníquese con nuestra oficina si tiene alguna pregunta sobre el proceso de certificación, nos ubicamos en Av. Constituyentes No. 124, local 10, Col. El Jacal C.P. 76187, Querétaro, México, en un horario de 9 am a 6:30 pm de Lunes a viernes . (Map or croquis is attached)
- Benefits
- Process
- FAQs
- Documents
Organic certification has a variety of well-recognized benefits:
- Satisfy the growing market for organic foods
- Fine-tune your agrochemical applications and save money
- Take the first step toward achieving broader sustainability objectives
- Prove compliance with the maximum residue limits (MRL) of all countries where your products are sold
- The Organic label is owned by the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture and offers guarantees to consumers since only products that have demonstrated to the Mexican government agency that they were produced in accordance with the standards, procedures, and ingredients permitted for this type of product can use it.
- Once certified by SCS, you can reinforce your brand with the Mexican Organic seal and the SCS Kingfisher logo, shown to increase brand value.
- In addition, certification through SCS gives you the added opportunity to market your pesticide residue-free status during the three-year mandatory transition period to organic.
While the specifics of certification vary depending on whether the company seeking certification is a grower, handler, or trader, the certification process generally involves the following steps:
- Apply for Certification
Complete the SCS Application for Organic Certification. This provides our auditors with basic information about your organic handling practices. - Authorize a Proposal
SCS prepares a proposal for your approval with a suggested scope of work, timeline, and quote. If the proposal meets your needs, you sign a Work Order. We then contact you to schedule an audit. - Determine Eligibility
SCS reviews your application to determine if we can offer certification services to your operation in compliance with the LPO standard. We prepare an Application Review Letter with the findings. If information provided is satisfactory, we proceed with your process of certification. - On-site Inspection and Testing
SCS conducts an annual on-site audit, including the collection of samples for testing as deemed necessary. The audit includes a physical inspection of the site, a review of records, interviews with personnel, and an exit interview. We prepare a Report of Findings after the inspection (and any associated testing) is completed. -
Certification Decision
If certification is granted, a Certificate of Compliance is issued. If certification is not granted, then the Report of Findings is accompanied by a declaration of status and explanation. The status may be one of the following:- additional information or minor corrective actions required;
- existing certification should be suspended, or
- certification is denied.
Should additional inspections be required, SCS will prepare a Notification of Additional Inspection that describes the purpose of the additional inspection.
- Maintaining Certification
Annual audits are required to maintain certification.
Some of the information presented below is excerpted directly from the Organic Products Law, its regulations and the Organic Production Guidelines Agreement.
What are the certification options for LPO in SCS Global Services?
SCS de México can perform, according to the provisions of the Organic Products Law, its Regulations, and the Agreement that regulate the organic operation developed by individuals or legal entities, which perform agricultural activities for the follow activities:
- Vegetable production
- Processing of products of agricultural and livestock activities
- Commercialization of products of agricultural and livestock activities.
What do I need to get started with LPO certification?
According to the Guidelines for the organic operation of agricultural activities The interested party in becoming an Organic Operator must have an Organic Plan from the beginning of the conversion or at the time of requesting certification, which must be updated annually and contain at least the following aspects:
- The management history, including the inputs used in the agricultural production unit for the last three years;
- The description of the activities that are currently carried out in the unit or that prevail in the operation: of plant production such as fertilization or plant nutrition, pest management; of animal production, animal feeding, among others, indicating the activities to be carried out in the conversion period;
- A program of activities containing the aspects to be changed during the conversion process, for example crop rotation, manure management, livestock management, fodder production plan, pest and disease management, environmental conditions, soil conservation, water management, including deadlines, and
- The tools and machinery used in the organic operation must be differentiated from those used in conventional farming, and when this is not possible, the tools and machinery used must be cleaned to prevent contamination before being used in organic operations.
What are the general principles of organic production?
Some of the principles include:
- Produce food of high nutritional quality;
- To interact constructively with the systems and natural cycles;
- Take into account the social and ecological impact of the organic production and processing system;
- To promote and intensify biological cycles within the agricultural activity, considering microorganisms, soil flora and fauna, plants and animals;
- Develop a valuable aquatic ecosystem promoting sustainability;
- Maintain and increase soil fertility in the long term;
- Maintain the genetic diversity of the productive system and its environment, including the protection of plant and wild animal habitats;
- Promote the rational use and appropriate care of water, aquatic resources, and the life they sustain;
- To employ in agricultural activities, as far as possible, renewable resources, making greater use of native and/or local resources, of plants or animals or other species;
- To create a balance between animal and vegetable production;
- Minimize and, as far as possible, avoid all forms of pollution;
- To progress toward a chain of production, processing, and distribution that is socially just and ecologically responsible;
- To design and manage agricultural and livestock operations in accordance with biological processes based on ecological systems; and
- Organic Production shall be linked to the soil, except in those cases in which due to the characteristics of the product or agro-ecological conditions this is not feasible. This includes, but is not limited to, the production of epiphytes, organic seed sprouts for consumption, organic seed sprouts for the extraction of chlorophyll, some fungi or for aquaculture production, among others;
What is the Organic Plan?
Organic operators seeking certification under the Organic Products Law must indicate in their organic plan at a minimum the following:
- A Description of practices under organic methods and procedures to be performed and maintained, including the frequency with which they will be carried out;
- The list and systematic record of substances and materials used, indicating their composition, source, place used, commercial documentation available, and label of the input;
- A description of the ongoing conservation practices implemented in the units, to verify that the Organic Plan is being effectively implemented, as well as future intentions and improvements in all areas of production;
- A complete description of the registration system in place;
- A description of the management practices and physical barriers established by the operator to maintain the organic integrity of the products and to prevent the mixing of organic and non-organic products in a parallel operation; and
- Other information as required under the organic plan forms to comply with this Agreement for the organic operation's activities.
The form provided to the applicant by SCS de México must be completed.
How much does LPO certification cost?
Prices for SCS de México auditing services vary depending on the location, size, and complexity of your operation. To obtain a free quote, please contact SCS de México.
How long is my LPO certificate valid?
An LPO certificate is valid for one year. Annual surveillance audits are required to maintain your certificate.
Where is our SCS Mexico Office located?
We are located at Av. Constituyentes No. 124, local 10, Col. El Jacal C.P. 76187, Querétaro, Mexico, Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
| Document Name | Document |
|---|---|
| Certification Manual | English |
| Ley de Productos Organicos | Visit Site |
| List of Operations | English |
| Office Location | English |
| Price List | English |
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