A certified grower group can take in new farmers, but each newcomer starts their own conversion, and the group must stay within NPOP's limits. This episode covers the inclusion procedure, the rules to check, and what to tell the Certification Body.
The short version
- New members follow the ICS manual's inclusion procedure, approved by the ICS.
- A new member's land starts its own conversion unless a derogation applies.
- The group must stay within 500 farmers and 50 km.
- Tell the Certification Body and inspect new members in the next round.
Rules to Check Before Adding
The newcomer must fit the group's limits: size, distance, production system, and the rule for large farms.
- The group stays within 500 farmers after the addition.
- The new farm lies within 50 km, preferably in the same or adjacent villages.
- The farmer follows a production system similar to the group's.
- A farm of 4 hectares or more is inspected separately by the CB every year, and such farms together must stay under 50% of the group's area.
- The farmer is not already certified for the same scope by another Certification Body.
The Inclusion Procedure
Follow the procedure in the ICS manual: documents, agreement, first inspection, and an approval committee decision.
- Collect documents.Identity, land record, farm location and farm history.
- Sign the agreement.The farmer signs the ICS agreement and receives the internal standards and a farm diary.
- Inspect.An internal inspection of the new farm, recorded like any other.
- Decide.The three-member approval committee decides, and the conversion status is recorded.
- Update the lists.The farmer list at the ICS office and the data on Tracenet.
Illustrative workload. At 3 to 4 minutes per farmer for data entry, adding 100 farmers takes 5 to 7 hours, before inspections.
Conversion for New Members
Joining a certified group does not certify the new land; it serves its own conversion period.
| Crop | Conversion period under NPOP (3.1.3) |
|---|---|
| Annual and biennial crops | At least 2 years of organic management before sowing |
| Perennial crops | At least 3 years of organic management before the first certified harvest |
| Land PGS-certified for 3 continuous years without sanctions | May count towards the full conversion period (derogation, 3.1.4) |
| Notified hilly areas of Himalayan states and the North East | May count, where notified by the state as untreated for 3 years (3.1.4) |
New members raise the group's risk: NPOP lists the joining of new members as a factor in the Certification Body's sampling plan. Tell the CB about additions promptly.
Check yourself
Tap an answer to see whether you are right, and why.
Does joining a certified group make a new farmer's land organic at once?
- Yes
- No; it serves its own conversion period
- After 6 months
Unless a derogation applies, the new land converts like any other.
A group has 495 farmers. Can it add 10 more?
- Yes
- No; the maximum is 500
- Only with CB approval of a 510 cap
NPOP 5.2 sets 500 as the maximum.
Remember these things
- Check size, distance and system rules.
- Follow the ICS inclusion procedure.
- New land converts on its own clock.
- Tell the CB and inspect newcomers.
Adding members by the book keeps the whole group's certificate safe. KrushiFlow validates these fields and submits farmer records to the portal in bulk.