Archive 2010

IMO accredited for new organic regulation in Brazil

The new legislation for production, processing and trade of organic produce in Brazil (Law 10.831) is still in development, but will get into force at December 28th 2010. From this date onwards all exported goods to Brazil must correspond with the new rules and be certified by IMO and its local office IMO do Brasil. Until now certification of goods from organic animal and vegetable production, wild-collection as well as processing and trade operations is possible. Single and group of small farmer certification applies. Specific areas as aquaculture, textiles and cosmetics are not covered yet by the legislation. Such amendments are being discussed and could be added within the next months. For evaluation of applicability of the regulation to your products, processing and trade operations please contact your IMO Office for further explanations. You may find the legal requirements at the website of the Brazilian Ministry for Agriculture. Please inform IMO as soon as possible about your need for verification of compliance with these additional requirements, your time management and open questions in order to guarantee your product flow to Brazilian importers without any interruption or delay.
(07.12.2010/ds, ih)
 

IMO launches web-based GOTS Positive List System

The new GOTS Positive List System grants immediate access to all GOTS-compliant textile chemicals approved by the Institute for Marketecology (IMO) for processing of GOTS-certified textiles. At present, already more than 1,000 dyestuff and pigment preparations including some natural dyes, such as plant-extracts, and over 1,500 textile auxiliaries from more than 100 different suppliers have been approved by IMO for processing of GOTS textiles. Textile companies have immediate access to all lists of approved colorants and textile auxiliaries and can obtain additional information about restrictions and/or recommendations for the application of the approved products at www.gots-positivelist.imo.ch.
"The new system marks another milestone in the organic textile production and highlights the important role of IMO as a pioneer in this sector” explains Dr. Peter Schaumberger, CEO of IMO Switzerland. Read more...
(16.11.2010/ih)
 

Tilapia farm in Honduras first to be compliant with Aquaculture Dialogue Standards audited by IMO

Regal Springs Tilapia farm Aquafinca in Honduras was the first aquaculture operation to be audited by the Institute for Marketecology (IMO) for compliance with the International Standards for Responsible Tilapia Aquaculture (ISRTA), which were completed last December by the Tilapia Aquaculture Dialogue.
This is the first audit that took place under the agreement between WWF and GLOBALG.A.P in order to allow aquaculture operations to be audited against the standards developed by the Aquaculture Dialogues in the period before the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has fully set up their verification scheme.
Read press release...
(22.10.2010/mis, ih)
 

 

VIP visit at IMO Jordan

During her economic mission in Jordan, President of Switzerland, Doris Leuthard, seemed to be pleased when briefed on the IMO activities currently ongoing in Jordan by Ernest Liniger, Representative of the IMO Regional office for the Middle East.
The members of the accompanying business delegation received a bottle of IMO certified organic olive oil and a box of IMO certified organic Medjoul dates.
(21.10.2010/er, ih)
 

 

New Chief Executive of IMO, Switzerland

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Peter Schaumberger (47) as the new Chief Executive of the Institute of Marketecology (IMO), Weinfelden, Switzerland.
(12.10.2010/er, ih)
 

Revised FairWild Standard launched

FairWild Foundation launched its revised Standard for the sustainable management and trade in wild-collected natural ingredients for food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The FairWild Standard Version 2.0 combines all essential elements of the original FairWild Standard, focused on fair trade, and the International Standard for Sustainable Wild Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ISSC-MAP), which focused on ecological sustainability. The revised version incorporates the lessons learned through practical application of the Standard in the field. The latest Standard was drawn up following extensive consultations with plant experts and representatives from the global herbal products industry.
According to Heiko Schindler (IMO), the certifying body for the FairWild Standard, the global herbal products industry has been more than enthusiastic in adopting the principles of the FairWild certification scheme. “This year, 23 wild plant collection companies in thirteen different countries are on track to becoming FairWild certified”, he comments. Further information...
(28.9.10/hs, ih)
 

Canada - IMO listed as recognised Certification Body by Canadian Government

IMO is now listed on the „List of Certification Bodies providing organic certification services under the Canada Organic Regime“. IMO is listed here in all countries where it provides NOP certification service; see official website of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
The equivalence determinations from the USA and Canada took effect on June 30, 2009 already, but the listing of USDA accredited certification bodies from outside the US was done only now. More information...
(20.07.2010/if, ih)
 

 

IMO under new leadership

The Institute for Marketecology (IMO) in Switzerland is under new leadership: Elisabeth Rüegg is the new director, succeeding Dr. Rainer Bächi who died tragically in a car accident only three weeks ago.
(30.06.2010/ih)
 

We mourn the death of Dr. Rainer Bächi

Dr. Rainer Bächi, founder and director of the Institute for Marketecology (IMO) passed away. Rainer was killed in a car accident during a mission in Georgia early morning of 10th June 2010.
His sudden and totally unexpected death is tragic and heartbreaking. With Rainer we lost not only a charismatic pioneer of the organic agriculture movement, but also our teacher, visionary thinker and professional leader. Read more...
(12.06.2010/ih)
 

 

Sustainable Foods Summit

The aim of the Sustainable Foods Summit is to address the major issues the food industry faces concerning sustainability and eco-labels such as organic, fair trade, etc.
The second edition of this summit will take place in Amsterdam, 10-11th June 2010. IMO is proud to support this new summit that focuses on fair trade and sustainability in the food industry. Key topics cover ethical partnerships, traceability, roundtables, distribution and marketing. Case studies are given of companies that have successfully and legitimately met the sustainability challenges. Like previous events organised by Organic Monitor, it will bring together key stake-holders in the food industry and debate these major issues in a high-level forum.
Further information....
(27.04.2010/ ih)
 

 

New logo selected for all EU organic products

On March 31, 2010, the new EU organic logo, introduced by Commission Regulation (EU) No 271/2010 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Over the past two months, some 130,000 people have voted online to choose the new organic symbol from three finalists. The winning design is by Dusan Milenkovic, a student from Germany, who gained 63 % of the overall vote for his “Euroleaf” logo. From July 1, 2010, the organic logo of the EU will be obligatory on all pre-packaged organic products that have been produced in any of the EU Member States and meet the necessary standards. The new logo can now be downloaded at the EU organic webpage.
Products with the old EU logo can be sold until stocks are exhausted. Packaging material with the old logo and code numbers can be used until 1 July 2012 if the product complies with Regulation (EC) 834/2007 in all other aspects other than the labelling. The logo can be printed in green and white or black and white. In addition, if the packaging is dark the logo can be printed in a negative format, and when a coloured logo is printed on a coloured background an outer line to make a better contrast between the logo and the background is permitted. The logo can be combined with other logos or texts referring to organic farming provided the nature of the EU logo is not changed. The code number can be placed in the same visual field as the logo but does not have to be placed directly beneath.
See text of EU Regulation 271/2010; Link to the official user manual.
(15.04.2010/ ih)
 

ASC: Certification against Aquaculture Dialogue standards

Through a series of roundtables, called Aquaculture Dialogues, WWF works with farmers, retailers, NGOs, scientists and other aquaculture industry stakeholders worldwide to develop standards for responsible aquaculture. The standards will minimize the key environmental and social impacts associated with aquaculture. The goal of the Dialogues is to create draft standards for 12 aquaculture species by the end of 2010. When finalized, the standards will be given to a new organization, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), that will be responsible for working with independent, third party entities to certify farms that are in compliance with the standards.
Prior to the ASC becoming fully operational in 2011, the Aquaculture Dialogue standard certification process will be handled by entities that meet several criteria. The first entity to meet the criteria is GLOBALGAP. GLOBALGAP's accredited certification bodies are authorised by GLOBALGAP to audit farms that adopt the Aquaculture Dialogue standards. Farms that are in compliance with the standards will receive a certificate of interim compliance from GLOBALGAP. Read more...
(25.3.2010/mis, ih)
 

The World's Largest Seafood Fair

The European Seafood Exposition is the world's largest seafood fair. Attracting buyers and sellers from over 140 countries around the world and featuring the stands of over 1600 exhibitors, the European Seafood Exposition is the global fair for the seafood industry. This event will take place 27th-29th April 2010. Further information...
Like every year, IMO will be present at the fair. Please contact IMO if you wish to arrange a meeting in advance. Information can be given on the latest developments in aquaculture (e.g. Globalgap, ASC, AquaGAP) and fishery (e.g. MSC).
(23.03.2010/mis, ih)
 

GlobalGAP Aquaculture: scope extensions

With the recent publication of new scope extensions for tilapia and pangasius, we believe the GlobalGAP standard will play a more significant role for seafood retailers in the future. We would like to inform all suppliers that IMO is now approved to carry out auditing and certification according to the new subscopes. We look forward to your interest and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions at globalgap@imo.ch.
(06.03.2010/ih)
 

New NaTrue Raw material certification!

From march onwards natural ingredients can also be certified as raw materials according the NaTrue criterias. Raw material suppliers may already apply for certification. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our experts at cosmetics@imo.ch. More information about certification in the cosmetic sector...
(01.03.10/ih)