Organic Trade Organizations

Organic Trade Organizations: Promoting Sustainable Agriculture and Ethical Business

Organic trade organizations play a crucial role in advancing the global organic industry by supporting farmers, businesses, and consumers committed to sustainable and ethical agricultural practices. These organizations work to ensure that organic products meet rigorous standards, promote fair trade, and advocate for policies that protect both the environment and public health.

Roles and Functions

Organic trade organizations operate at national, regional, and global levels, serving as key players in:

• Certification & Standards – Establishing and maintaining organic certification guidelines to ensure compliance with international and local organic regulations.
• Advocacy & Policy Development – Working with governments to promote policies that support organic farming, fair trade, and sustainable agricultural practices.
• Market Development – Helping organic producers and businesses expand their reach, facilitating trade fairs, and promoting consumer awareness.
• Education & Research – Conducting studies on organic farming’s environmental benefits, food security, and market trends while offering training programs for farmers and businesses.

International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)
IFOAM is the worldwide umbrella organization for the organic movement, uniting more than 750 member organizations in 108 countries.
Organic trade is a rapidly growing reality all over the world. The growth rates of the organic sector demonstrate that organic products are moving from the “niche” and entering mainstream markets. The total land under certified organic production worldwide has reached over 26 Million hectares. IFOAM is at the center of this development.

International Relationships
IFOAM actively participates in international agricultural and environmental negotiations with the United Nations and multilateral institutions to further the interests of the organic agricultural movement worldwide. IFOAM is uniquely recognised for taking on this important role. The introduction of the Principles of Organic Agriculture and the recognition of IFOAM by international institutions is of enormous importance for the further development of organic agriculture.

The Organic Guarantee System
IFOAM provides a market guarantee for integrity of organic claims. The Organic Guarantee System (OGS) unites the organic world through a common system of standards, verification and market identity. It fosters equivalence among participating IFOAM accredited certifiers, paving the way for more orderly and reliable trade whilst acknowledging consumer trust in the organic ‘brand’.

Facilitating Networks and Market Development
Through IFOAM programs, conferences and events, IFOAM is laying the groundwork for the further development of organic agriculture and its markets worldwide. Through IFOAM World Congresses, International Trade conferences, commodity specific (coffee, seeds, wild products, etc.) and other events , IFOAM brings together the key players from all over the planet to facilitate trade in organic products.
> ifoam.org

Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
The International Working Group on Global Organic Textile Standard is comprised of four reputed member organisations, namely OTA (USA), IVN (Germany), Soil Association (UK) and JOCA (Japan), which contribute to GOTSthe GOTS, together with further international stakeholder organizations and experts, their respective expertise in organic farming and environmentally and socially responsible textile processing.

It is now already more than 20 years ago when experts in organic agriculture studied the possibility of cultivating organic cotton for industrial use. Already 16 years ago, in 1989, the International Association Natural Textile Industry (former AKN) was founded in Germany and defined a first set of standards to process eco-friendly textiles with a practicable industrial approach. So far there exist worldwide numerous different standards and draft standards for the production in the niche market of organic textiles. The existing different standards cause confusion with producers and consumers and are an obstacle to free international exchange with organic textiles.
Based on this background during the Intercot Conference 2002 in Düsseldorf (Germany) a workshop was launched where representatives of organic cotton producers, the textile industry, consumers as well as standard organisations and certifiers participated and discussed the need for a harmonised world-wide recognised organic textile standard.

As a concrete result of the workshop the “International Working Group on Global Organic Textile Standard” was founded with the aim to work on harmonisation of the various regional approaches and to develop a Global Organic Textile Standard. Since then, a number of organisations and experts have periodically participated in this work. After only 3 years – at the next Intercot Conference 2005 in Chicago, the 1st Version of the Global Organic Textile Standard was presented by the International Working Group.
> global-standard.org

In alphabetical order

Institute for Marketecology (IMO)
The Institute for Marketecology is one of the first and most renowned international agencies for inspection, certification and quality assurance of eco-friendly products. Our world-wide activities are accredited by the Swiss Accreditation Service (SAS) according to EN 45011 (ISO 65), which is the international standard for certification. IMO offers certification for organic production and handling according the European Regulation (EU) Nr. 2092/91. Also we have been accredited by USDA for organic certification according to the American National Organic Program (NOP). Recently we have received the reaccreditation by MAFF and offer certification according to the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) for the Japanese market. Since more than 20 years, IMO has been active in the field of organic certification but it is also expert in the sectors of natural textiles, sustainable forestry, and social accountability monitoring.
imo.ch

OneCert – Organic Certification
OneCert provides organic certification worldwide. Certification and inspection programs include the US National Organic Program (NOP), European Organic Regulations (EU 2092/91), Quebec Organic Standards (CAQ), Japan Agricultural Standards (JAS), IFOAM, and Bio Suisse. Services include organic certification, organic inspection, export certificates, transaction certificates, on-line record keeping, answers to certification questions, and presentations of organic topics.
> onecert.net

Testex® – Worldwide Textile Testing
Testex® is an independent, neutral, Swiss textile testing institute which provides public services worldwide for everyone engaged in all textile and related fields (cf. Customer segments).
Its range of services extends from standard physical and chemical textile tests through residue and harmful substance analysis to factual investigation in cases of damage, consulting on environmental and quality issues, and special services such as organising round robin tests and on-site services. Our testing facilities are structured in such a way that we can make available a comprehensive range of tests for all textile raw materials, semi-finished and finished products. We are especially proud to be one of the few institutes in the world which is still able to test raw silk and silk products. As an accredited testing laboratory we consider ourselves obliged to improve our quality management and technical expertise continuously in the service of our clients. We therefore endeavour always to perform tests in accordance with national and international regulations and standards.
> testex.com

Textile Exchange
Founded in 2002, Textile Exchange (formerly Organic Exchange) facilitates expansion of the global organic cotton and sustainable fiber supply and marketplace by working closely with the entire value chain, from farmers and textile suppliers to retailers and consumers. Textile Exchange has hosted numerous conferences and
trainings in supply chain centers around the world, including Brazil, China, Germany, India, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, The Netherlands, Turkey, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
> textileexchange.org

Europe / Organic Trade Organizations

European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
The EEB is a federation of more than 140 environmental citizens’ organisations based in all EU Member States and most Accession Countries, as well as in a few neighbouring countries. These organisations range from local and national, to European and international. The aim of the EEB is to protect and improve the environment of Europe and to enable the citizens of Europe to play their part in achieving that goal.
> eeb.org

Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF)
Protecting People and Planet – EJF makes a direct link between the need for environmental security and the defence of basic human rights
EJF is a registered charity established in 2000 to empower people who suffer most from environmental abuses to find peaceful ways of preventing them.
EJF provides film and advocacy training to individuals and grassroots organisations in the global south, enabling them to document, expose and create long term solutions to environmental abuses.
EJF campaigns internationally to raise awareness of the issues our grassroots partners are working to solve locally.
Today EJF has a team of campaigners and film-makers based in London, and works internationally with partners in Brazil, Vietnam, Mali, Sierra Leone, Uzbekistan, Mauritius and Indonesia.
> ejfoundation.org

International Verband der Naturtextilwirtschaft (IVN)
IVN is an alliance of more than 70 businesses from all levels of the textile production chain with one common goal: to counter the abuses so frequent within our industry with clearly defined ecologically oriented and socially accountable business practices. Specifically, this is done by defining and implementing internationally valid production standards for eco-friendly textiles and leather as well asby awarding a quality seal for products meeting these standards.
> naturtextil.com

NEWS – the Network of European Worldshops
NEWS is the umbrella network of 15 national Worldshop associations in 13 different countries all over Europe. Through them we represent the Worldshops – shops that offer fairly traded products and campaign for a fairer world trade system. Through its members – National Associations – NEWS represents approximately 2,500 Worldshops and 100,000 volunteers working in these shops.
> worldshops.org

Soil Association
The Soil Association is the UK’s leading campaigning and certification organisation for organic food and farming. Since its formation in 1946, the Soil Association has grown from a small but influential voice challenging the orthodoxy of chemical-based intensive agriculture, to an international authority on the principles and practices of organic farming.
But our interests and activities have always extended more widely, covering the whole spectrum of animal welfare, the environment, human health, international development, and rural culture. Soil Association Certification Limited (SA Certification) is the UK’s largest organic certification body. It’s also the only certification body linked to a committed charity, promoting organic food and farming.
> soilassociation.org

Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC)
SSNC is an environmental organisation with power to bring about change. We spread knowledge, map environmental threats, create solutions, and influence politicians and public authorities, at both national and international levels. Moreover, we are behind one of the world’s most challenging ecolabellings, “Bra Miljöval” (Good Environmental Choice). Climate, the oceans, forests, environmental toxins, and agriculture are our main areas of involvement.
> naturskyddsforeningen.se

North / America Organic Trade Organizations

National Organic Program (NOP)
The National Organic Program homepage is your starting point for accessing information on USDA’s National Organic Program. Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990. The OFPA required the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop national standards for organically produced agricultural products to assure consumers that agricultural products marketed as organic meet consistent, uniform standards. The OFPA and the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations require that agricultural products labeled as organic originate from farms or handling operations certified by a State or private entity that has been accredited by USDA. The NOP is a marketing program housed within the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. Neither the OFPA nor the NOP regulations address food safety or nutrition.
> ams.usda.gov/nop/

Organic Consumers Association (OCA)
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The OCA deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, children’s health, corporate accountability, Fair Trade, environmental sustainability and other key topics. We are the only organization in the US focused on promoting the views and interests of the nation’s estimated 76 million organic and socially responsible consumers.
> organicconsumers.org

Organic Trade Association (OTA)
The Organic Trade Association is the membership-based business association for the organic industry in North America. OTA’s mission is to promote and protect organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public, and the economy. OTA envisions organic products becoming a significant part of everyday life, enhancing people’s lives and the environment.
OTA represents businesses across the organic supply chain and addresses all things organic, including food, fiber/textiles, personal care products, and new sectors as they develop. Over sixty percent of OTA trade members are small businesses.
> ota.com

Asia / Organic Trade Organizations

Japan Organic Cotton Association (JOCA)
In order to increase of production of organic cotton products and to promote its consumption in Japan, Japan Organic Cotton Association (JOCA) was founded in 2000. It was authorized as a non-profit organization under law. JOCA has two sections; one is certification and labeling for organic cotton products and the other is promotional project.
> joca.gr.jp

World Fair Trade Organization-Asia (WFTO-Asia)
WFTO-Asia is a network of dedicated Fair Trade organizations, who follow the 10 World Fair Trade Organization principles of Fair Trade.
> http://wfto-asia.com

WWOOF
World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms:
Linking volunteers with organic farms and growers
> wwoof.net