Newsletter December 2013

Topics

• Current project activities
• Next steps
• Contact details for feedback and comments

We would like to invite you to the workshop of the project IRM-ORGANIC in Salzburg at the 28th and 29th of January 2014.

At this workshop we will present our project results on the training on risk oriented inspections for organic inspectors and discuss the impact of the current revision process of the EU-regulation on organic farming on organic controls. The workshop shall support the competence and the knowledge exchange on risk oriented inspection approaches and on training concepts.

IRM-ORGANIC conducted extensive research on the expectations of organic sector experts (operators, control sectors and users of organic certification) in different countries relating to risk-oriented inspections. An online survey for organic inspectors was carried out. Training concepts of control bodies in Austria, Germany, Italy and Poland were analysed and compared. The training in official food and feed control as well as in other private certification programs for food and feed was compared. On the basis of this data the project partners developed a train-the-trainer concept for organic inspectors.

A focus point of the workshop will be the presentation and discussion of this train-the-trainer concept for risk oriented inspection tools.

We would be very happy about your participation!

To read the detailed invitation, please follow this link.

In cooperation with EOCC a task force “Competence of organic inspectors” was founded. The task force was presented in the EOCC Newsletter from the 15th December 2013 and shall be coordinated by Gerald Altena, the Norwegian representative of the control body DEBIO.

First topic to be developed will be a proposal for an European occupational profile for organic inspectors. Interested EOCC members are welcome to participate in this task force. Please contact ulfila.bartels (at) gfrs.de