Practices... - Organic Food - Certification

Many consumers look for certified fruits, vegetables, meat, and poultry to ensure the purity of organically sourced food. Certification may be stated in relation to a government regulation or third-party certification organizations.

The most well-known international organic certification body is the Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA). Their testing methods are highly rigorous and appropriately strict. Fields must not have been sprayed with any form of pesticide for a minimum of three years prior to evaluation, for example. Farms are regularly inspected to ensure fully organic compliance and will have their certification revoked if required. In the end, consumers may purchase OCIA-certified produce with confidence.