THE THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR ORGANIC PRODUCTS

In the context of an increasing organic trade worldwide, the organic standards and the certification of the organic practices are ever more important and relevant for both business and consumers. The certification by third parties of the organic operators is meant to ensure the application of an organic standard. However, the documented fraud cases are proof that the current system can undergo further improvement. The current paper gives an overview of the mechanisms of certification and inspection worldwide and discusses the issues raised by third party certification of the organic operators in the European context. Moreover, the paper reviews the major arguments for the effectiveness of the third party certification and also points to the improvement possibilities of the systems.