Integrity is about building and reinforcing trust: both business to business and business to consumer.

However,as long as there is profit to be made, cheating will exist, and we have to put in place measures to be sure that everyone is operating to the same standards.

Although third party certification is indispensable and a powerful tool, it is not enough – industry integrity relies on the actions of the whole supply chain;taking responsibility for their own operations, and having a good knowledge of their supply chains. In addition some contributors mentioned a difference in effectiveness of certification bodies.

Transparency was identified as a key factor, and suggestions were made to achieve it by taking away anonymity in the supply chain through the development of strong and personal B2B relationships and/or to work with a system such as Transparency International. It was also suggested that farmers could even make public their organic farming systems; and that certifiers could publish not only certified companies, but those that were denied certification.

At the farm level, group certification was identified as the solution for the many small-scale farmers in developing countries. But it was also mentioned that standards should be made better understandable for the producers. Thus organic standards applied worldwide are mostly a simple copy of EU or US requirements and neither adapted to the reality of the countries nor available in local languages. This circumstance leads to a missing transparency for producers -  the most important precondition for a organic product.

Good extension and trainings and strong Internal Control Systems are essential but costly. Clear guidance would also be needed to integrate this complexity into best practice, regulation and pricing. At present those who do not make these investments do gain a price advantage. Pragmatic measures were also noted, such as increased random and risk-oriented inspections, mandatory testing for the presence of GMO’s or pesticides, greater training of inspectors and a peer-to-peer approach within the entire chain.

‘Reliability’ was discussed too and perceived as only possible in a direct personal or professional relationship.  Thus it was suggested to elaborate reports as per country about the pro and cons for each organic cotton producing country including local price definitions.

There are many issues to be addressed regarding organic integrity, and ultimately everyone will have to play a role in making it successful.  Discussions such as the one we’ve just had are essential in raising awareness of issue and identifying possible solutions,and we encourage everyone to keep up the dialogue in your professional lives. 

Sommaire de ladiscussion de la Communauté du Coton Biologique

au sujet de „comment assurer l’intégrité ducoton biologique?“