|
|
Community Grower Groups (CGG) are a group of growers who grow their produce
in close proximity to each other, and whose farming practices are uniform
on the whole, and organised under the same management and marketing system
viz., a non-governmental-organisation/self-help group/registered association.
| Ion Enviro undertakes contract farming with Community
Grower Groups (CGG) having large acreage, on a profit-sharing basis.
Farmers are trained in-house in scientific organic farm management
and certification. We follow fair trade practices wherein middlemen
are eliminated, child labour is banned, men and women are given equal
status, and |
 |
| transparency in trade is maintained. In
the process we bring to rural areas the best of organic processes
and water management techniques, thereby educating and empowering
farmers. |
CGG entails many benefits:
- Higher production volumes without corresponding investment
in additional land
- Steady supply of organic produce for domestic and international
markets
- De-layering of supply chain, reduction in associated costs
and time
- Farmers cultivate land more productively and profitably,
obtain better market prices for their produce
- Improves the environment by bringing more land under eco-friendly
scientific organic farming.
| CGG volunteers should be familiar with cultivation
area information viz.: |
 |
General location and geography of CGG production
zone |
| Crop type commonly grown in production
area |
| Commonly adopted farming practices |
| Marketing channel for agricultural
produce in the production area |
| Grower
lists by villages, participating growers, production area, and pertinent
information viz., maps, phone numbers and addresses of growers related
to the CGG area |
General Inspection
Requirements
Production is executed in accordance
with Protocol requirements as per EEC 2092/91 standards
Written and documentary accounts are recorded to trace
the origin, nature and quantities of raw materials procured and their
usage. Documentation is required of the nature, quantities and consignees
of the organic or 'in conversion' produce.
Documents must specify date of the last application
to the land concerned of products whose usage is incompatible with the
Protocol.
Organic produce storage must be in production and storage
locations, which are clearly demarcated from those not producing in accordance
with the production requirements of the Protocol.
Products not covered by the Protocol standards must
be stored separately and both types of products must be clearly identified.
Individual Application and
Farm Inspection (Benchmark Survey)
- Grower's name and personal contact information
- Farm location and production, storage and produce
handling premises
- Total farmland and proposed organic farmland
- Present mode of farming and farming facilities
- Farming experience
- Commencement date on which farmer complies with
the requirements of the EEC 2092/91 Protocol for Crop Production (the
Protocol)
| Analysis
and residue testing |
| Testing though not a major instrument in organic
certification currently can be of value in certain cases (e.g. suspected
contamination or use of prohibited inputs), provided it is properly
done. Initial chemical residue testing may be restricted to organochlorine,
organophosphate and heavy metal residues in soil, irrigation water
and farm produce. Testing would be carried out particularly when there
are specific indications that residues may exist from agricultural
and environmental sources. |
 |
|
Farm produce is randomly tested on a regular
basis, and tests are more frequent during harvest.
Soil, irrigation water and seed samples are tested
where appropriate. |
|
|
