INDUSTRY ARTICLESBy Simon Jacques,
Ontario Representative Ecocert Canada
The term "Organic" was coined by groups of California Farmers in the 1970's who wished to differentiate their products from those of mainstream agriculture. Certification was a marketing strategy developed by these farmers. Since the advent of marketing, consumers were regularly subjected to questionable product claims. In order to give true value and meaning to the term "organic", a system of independent third-party verification was established, so consumers could trust the claim. Standards were developed and monitored by certification bodies. The first certifying bodies were farmer-controlled, and were essentially a system of peer-review. Each group had its own standards that shared a common theme, but differed in detail.
