BLE Germany Launched Database for Organic Standards

The federal office for Agriculture and Food in Germany (Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung–BLE) has launched a database that aims to allow users to search and compare different organic standards and regulations. The first three standards entered on the database are the EU Regulation on Organic farming, the National Organic Program (NOP) from the US and the Codex Alimentarius Guidelines on organic production.

The database offers full-text search as well as searches based on different topics with three languages possibilities: Spanish, English and German.  With a pre-defined topic search it is possible to combine present search words or search areas. Subject areas that could be found include type of production, inputs, types of animal production, or parts of the certification system. People have to register before using the database, but this is a very simple procedure. In order to understand the outcome of the search, users should be familiar with the organic legislation.

Who will use the database?

Currently, with just three standards on the database there is clearly more homework to do until everything is in shape. There are many who check the EU Regulation to see how a certain topic is handled. However, the complexity of the Regulation makes this difficult – there are, for instance, several topics that are handled in several different places within the Regulation – and the database will make finding details on specific topics a lot easier.

The negotiations between the EU and the US for recognition of each others’ organic certification system are likely to generate more interest from both sides of the Atlantic to search each others’ standard system. The structure of the two legislations is different so users not familiar with one or the other will find the database of great value.

It has to be remembered that the information on the database is just a copy and compilation of several bits and pieces of information and that the legally binding documents are elsewhere. This is also clearly spellt out on the homepage of the standards database.

As with all new projects there are many plans for improvement. The first is to get more present search areas set up, the second and maybe more difficult aim is to keep the database up to date whenever the EU Regulation or the NOP are changed. The third aim is to include more legislation and standards on the database to give users more opportunities to compare standards.

For more details of the database, you can visit: http://www.organic-standards.info/en/