Organic Certification
NPOP (India), EU Organic, USDA NOP, and Canada Organic — each scheme has its own standards, accreditation structure, and conversion requirements. Fusion Certification helps you navigate the right scheme for your product, market, and farm type.
Organic Certification Schemes
Organic certification provides third-party verification that agricultural products are produced without synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilisers, GMOs, or prohibited additives. The scheme you need depends on your target market.
NPOP — National Programme for Organic Production (India)
APEDA (Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) administers NPOP under the Ministry of Commerce. NPOP accredits certification bodies who inspect and certify farms and processors. NPOP-certified products carry the 'India Organic' logo and are recognised under mutual recognition arrangements with the EU (for plant-based products) and Switzerland. NPOP is the baseline requirement for domestic organic claims and most Indian export organic programmes.
EU Organic Regulation (EU 2018/848)
The EU Organic Regulation governs the use of the EU organic logo on products sold in the European Union. For Indian exporters, NPOP certification under the EU's equivalence arrangement covers most plant-based crops. However, processed products, livestock, and aquaculture products may require separate EU-approved control body certification. Third countries not covered by equivalence must obtain certification from an EU-recognised control body.
USDA NOP — National Organic Programme (United States)
The USDA NOP is administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service. Organic products sold in the US bearing the USDA Organic seal must be certified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent. India does not have a bilateral equivalence arrangement with the US — all products exported to the US as organic must be certified under NOP by a USDA-accredited certifier. Fusion Certification helps Indian exporters find suitable accredited certifiers and prepare the required Organic System Plan.
Canada Organic Regime (COR / CGSB 32.310-32.311)
The Canada Organic Regime (COR) is administered by the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency). Products sold in Canada as organic must be certified to the Canadian standard CGSB 32.310 (Organic Production Systems) and CGSB 32.311 (Permitted Substances Lists) by a COR-accredited certification body. India and Canada have a bilateral equivalence arrangement, meaning NPOP-certified farms can sell organic plant products in Canada without re-certification — but processed products and products using non-equivalent inputs still require COR certification.
Group Certification & Internal Control Systems (ICS)
Individual farm certification is practical for large farms, but economically unviable for smallholders. Group certification — also called Internal Control System (ICS) certification — allows a producer organisation, cooperative, or aggregator to certify many small farmers under a single certificate, administered through a documented internal inspection and approval system.
An ICS covers: farmer member registration and field mapping, internal inspector training and inspection records, non-conformance and corrective action procedures, input approval and inventory control, and harvest and post-harvest traceability.
How Fusion Helps with ICS Setup
- ICS Manual Development: We write the complete Internal Control System manual to the standard required by NPOP, EU Organic, or NOP.
- Farmer Registration Templates: We develop field maps, input inventory forms, and farmer agreement templates.
- Internal Inspector Training: We prepare your internal inspection team with the knowledge to conduct compliant farm inspections and document findings.
- Traceability System: We design the mass-balance and transaction records required to trace organic product from field to first point of sale.
- ICS Audit Readiness: We conduct a mock ICS audit before the certification body's external inspection.
Livestock Organic Certification
Organic livestock certification covers cattle, poultry, dairy, and aquaculture. It requires that animals are fed certified organic feed, have access to pasture or outdoor areas appropriate to their species, are not routinely treated with antibiotics or synthetic hormones, and are managed to prevent undue stress. The conversion period for livestock (typically 12 months for dairy cattle, 6 weeks for poultry for meat) must be completed before organic status is granted.
Fusion Certification assists with livestock operation documentation including: feed sourcing and composition records, veterinary treatment logs, animal identification and traceability, and the specific additional requirements of the applicable organic scheme (NPOP, EU, NOP) for each livestock category.
Organic Inputs Certification
Input manufacturers (fertilisers, biopesticides, crop protection materials, soil amendments) can have their products evaluated and listed on approved input lists for organic production. In India, NPOP maintains a list of permitted substances. In Europe, the EU Organic Regulation Article 24 and Annex I define permitted inputs.
Fusion Certification provides input manufacturer documentation support — product formulation review against permitted substance lists, compliance documentation, and advisory on positioning inputs for organic market supply chains.
Conversion Period
Land must go through a conversion period before it can produce certified organic crops. Under NPOP, the conversion period is typically 2 years for annual crops and 3 years for perennial crops from the date of the last application of a prohibited substance. During conversion, land is managed to organic standards but products cannot be sold as certified organic — they may be marketed as "in conversion to organic" under some schemes.
Fusion Certification helps plan the conversion timeline, document compliance during the conversion period, and prepare for the first organic certification inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fusion Certification is an independent consultancy. Organic certification is granted by APEDA-accredited certification bodies (under NPOP), USDA-accredited certifiers (under NOP), or EU-approved control bodies — not by Fusion. Fusion provides system-building, documentation, and audit-readiness support only.