Non-official edition  
LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA  
ON ORGANIC AGRICULTURE  
 
Adopted on April 8, 2008  
 
Chapter 1  
General Provisions  
 
Article 1. The Subject as Regulated by the Following Law   
The law regulates the production, preservation, processing, transportation and sale of  agricultural 
products and materials as well as the storage of wild plants, and defines the principles of and 
legal grounds for the management of organic agriculture, its main circulation demands, 
directions of state support, and the duties of the authoriz ed body.  
 
Article 2. Legislation on Organic Agriculture  
1. The legislation of the Republic of Armenia on Organic Agriculture is composed of the 
following law and other legal acts.  
2. If the norms defined by the Republic of Armenia’s international treaties dif fer from those in 
the following law, then the international treaty norms take precedence.  
   
Article 3. Main Concepts Used in the Following Law  
1. The main concepts used in the following law include:  
1) Organic agriculture – a special type of agricultural ac tivity that is generally in harmony 
with agro ecosystems and implemented in compliance with the requirements of relevant 
technical regulations and other normative documents.  
2) Agricultural products – products and materials made from vegetables, animals , or wild 
plants, which are produced or processed under organic agricultural management and 
circulated according to requirements established by technical regulations.  
3) Organic agricultural foodstuff – organic agricultural products that are consumed as 
human food .   
4) Organic agricultural unit – a production area where organic agricultural production is 
implemented.  
5) Commodity circulation – the stages of production, preservation, transportation and final 
realization of the product, as well as operations in between – from production up to the 
final product (sorting, loading, unloading, packaging, marking, labelling , delivery, 
advertising, supply, use, etc.).  
6) Conversion period – the period established for each type of agricultural product during 
which conversion is mad e from ordinary (traditional) agricultural production to managed 
organic agricultural production.    
7) Certificate of organic production conversion period – certificate given to production 
that has been obtained from the organic agricultural unit in the conv ersion period.  
8) Buffer zone – the zone left between the organic agricultural unit and the area of ordinary 
(traditional) agricultural production.  
9) Genetically modified living organism – any living organism that contains a new 
combination of genetic substance  generated as a result of modern biotechnology.    
10) Living organism – any biological form that has the capacity to transfer or reproduce 
(replicate) genetic substance.  
11) Agro ecosystem – an ecological system where agricultural production is implemented.  
12) Regi ster of Economic Entities – records that briefly detail information on how organic 
agricultural methods are being used by economic entities.                              
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Article 4. Main Principles of Organic Agriculture  
1. The main principles of organic a griculture are the following:  
1) Formation of a favourable  environment for the preservation of biodiversity as a result of 
selective breeding of plants and livestock, as well as reduction of risks caused by human 
activity;   
2) Improvement of the soil’s physica l, chemical and biological qualities, and the 
maintenance of fertility by natural means (crop rotation, organic fertilization, creation of 
forested zones to combat erosion, etc.);  
3) Selection of methods and technologies of agricultural foodstuff processing t hat will 
ensure maximum preservation of their biological value;  
4) Elimination of environmental pollution – terminating the use of synthesized chemical 
substances, using environmentally friendly technology in agricultural activities;  
5) Harmonization of plant gr owing and cattle farming;    
6) Elimination of the use of hormones, hormonal preparations, as well as genetically 
modified living organisms, genetic engineering, or other modern biotechnologies and 
ionic x -ray methods.    
 
 
 
Chapter 2  
State Regulation of the Field of Organic Agriculture  
 
Article 5.  RA Government’s Powers in the Field of Organic Agriculture  
1. RA Government’s activities in the field of organic agriculture are:  
1) Systematizing the activities of relevant state governing bodies;  
2) Ensuring an integra ted approach to policy making and its implementation;  
3) Adopting legal acts to regulate the field;  
4) Adopting state target projects and ensuring their implementation;  
5) Establishing the procedure for maintaining the register of economic entities engaged in 
organ ic agriculture and calendar records;    
6) Establishing the catalogue of and procedure of use for permitted and partially permitted 
substances, including fertilizers, substances for soil quality improvement, fertility 
increase and plant protection, disinfecta nts;  
7) Establishing the catalogue of and procedure of use for additives used in processing food 
materials;  
8) Establishing the procedure for organic agriculture organization, production of plants, 
foods of plant origin, production of agricultural animals and food of livestock origin 
(including bee -keeping products), organic processing, packaging, preservation, 
transportation, finalization and marking;  
9) Establishing the duration of the conversion period and the procedure for reducing or 
extending it;   
10) Establish ing the procedure for importing and exporting agricultural foodstuffs;  
11) Executing the powers conferred by this and other laws.  
 
Article 6. Powers of the Authorized State Governing Body in the Field of Organic 
Agriculture   
 The activities of the state gove rning body, authorized by the Government of the Republic 
of Armenia (henceforth ‘authorized body’), in the field of organic agriculture are:  
1) Making and implementing integrated public policy;  
2) Within its powers,  creating rules of production, preservation, p rocessing, transportation 
and the realization of organic agricultural food, and drafting of other normative legal acts 
that regulate the field;  Non-official edition  
3) Maintaining the Register of Economic Entities engaged in agriculture;    
4) In conjunction with relevant state bod ies, controlling the stages of goods circulation, 
starting from agricultural goods production up to final realization;  
5) Within its powers, adopting orders, rules and other normative acts;  
6) Fostering international cooperation in the field of organic agricultu re with the 
introduction of advanced methods, scientific achievements, and personnel training;  
7) Implementing other powers conferred by this law and the legislation of the Republic of 
Armenia.  
 
 
 Article 7. Conformity Assessment (Certification) in the Fiel d of Organic Agriculture  
1) The conformity assessment (certification) body in the field of organic agriculture 
(henceforth ‘certification body’) conducts conformity assessment of organic agricultural 
products by giving a certificate with “organic” or “organi c conversion period” on it. The 
procedure for giving the certificate is established by the Government of the Republic of 
Armenia.  
2) The conformity assessment activities are conducted in compliance with the Law of the 
Republic of Armenia entitled “On Conformi ty Assessment”.  
3) At least once a year, the certification body makes an evaluation of organic agricultural 
units’ production processes and documentation.  
 
 
 
Chapter 3    
Main Requirements for Organic Agriculture,  
Labelling  of Organic Agricultural Productio n, 
and External Goods’ Circulation  
 
Article 8. Main requirements for Organic Agriculture  
1. Organic agricultural production is based on the principles defined in Article 4 of this law.  
2. The methods of organic agriculture in the production and processing of agr icultural food of 
vegetable origin, as well as in the storage of wild plants, shall comply with the following 
requirements:  
1) Maintenance and increase of soil fertility by means of optimum ( favourable  ) crop 
rotation, organic fertilization and other natural  means, acquisition of manure used for 
fertilization only from organic agricultural units, elimination of those chemical 
substances that not included in the catalogues of permitted or partially permitted 
chemical substances;  
2) In organic agriculture, only th e use of permitted or partially permitted substances, 
including fertilizers, substances for improving soil quality, increasing fertility and 
protecting plants, as well as disinfectants, additives and components used in processing;  
3) In the fight against wee ds, pests and diseases:  
a. Selection of disease and pest -resistant types and use of favourable  crop rotation,  
b. Formation of buffer zones between units of organic and traditional agriculture,  
c. Use of biological and technological methods to fight against pests;  
4) In organic plant cultivation, use of seeds obtained by organic production for at least one 
generation with annual or biennial crops or for at least two growing seasons with 
perennial crops;   
5) Gathering and storage of wild herbs and edible plants may be cer tified as organic if:  
a. Substances forbidden in organic agriculture have not been used in the area for 3 years 
prior to the gathering (storage),  
b. The harvesting does not distort the biodiversity and agro ecosystems of the area,  Non-official edition  
c. The harvesting of the plants is  organized in compliance with the requirements of legal 
acts that regulate the field and under the supervision of the certification body.  
3. Organic agricultural methods in agricultural animal breeding, production, and the processing 
of food of animal origin shall comply with the following requirements:  
1) As a rule, organic livestock activity should form an inseparable part of the agricultural 
unit and be related to organic plant cultivating,  
2) All conditions required for grazing pastures, accommodation and care s hould satisfy 
organic agricultural methods,  
3) The authorized body defines the boundaries of free grazing pastures if those boundaries 
relate to the physiological state of the animals, adverse climatic conditions, if nursery 
accommodation fully provides for t he well -being of the animals, or if there are 
considerations of preventing the spread of animal disease, localizing or eliminating 
outbreaks, or neutralizing the threat of disease transmission from animals to humans,  
4) Organic agriculture in the field of agr icultural animal breeding should aim to graze 
animals in certified pastures, minimize stress to those areas, prevent disease, eliminate 
the use of chemical drugs (including antibiotics), and gradually reduce the feeding of 
animals with products of animal o rigin,  
5) Isolation of animals and extension of conversion period when there is the need for use of 
prohibited treatment in order to prevent spread of animal disease, localize and eliminate 
outbreaks, neutralize the threat of disease transmission from animals  to humans, or 
reduce economic costs,  
6) Selection of animal breed should be made taking into consideration its adaptation to local 
conditions, vitality and resistance to the most widespread diseases, as well as the absence 
of specific diseases associated wit h the breed.  
4. The authorized body stipulates requirements related to the management of agricultural herds, 
conversion period changes, food and feeding, livestock, slaughter and care.  
5. The use of substances used in ordinary (traditional) agriculture, but not included in the 
catalogue of substances permitted or partially permitted in organic agriculture, is possible in 
cases of disease prevention, the spread of plant and animal quarantine cases, localization and 
elimination of outbreaks, neutralization of the t hreat of disease transmission from animals to 
humans, as well as if it is necessary for the economic entities to avoid considerable financial 
damage. In this case, the product may be sold as common food and cannot be marked as an 
organic agricultural produ ct. 
6. The organic agricultural conversion period can be changed – extended or reduced – 
according to the procedure established by RA government (depending on specific activities 
of the economic entities and environmental conditions).  
7. The terms of organic cer tification are determined by the Government of the Republic of 
Armenia.  
    
Article 9. The Marking and Labelling  of Organic Agriculture Production  
1. In the labelling  and marking  of organic agricultural production, including food labelling  and 
marking, as wel l as in advertising, the term “organic” (equivalent to the markings 
“Ecological”, “ Ecologically clean” and “ Biological”) may be used only if:      
1) It is produced by the methods of organic agriculture and is certified,  
2) An imported product is accompanied b y a conformity certification document, established 
by rules of organic agriculture.  
2. Organic agricultural production circulating in the Republic of Armenia should be labelled  
with the appropriate marking and accompanied by a certificate. The Government of the 
Republic of Armenia authorizes the procedure for marking and labelling  of organic 
agricultural products and for the conversion period, as well as the forms of the product 
conformity mark, the conformity certificate and the conformity certificate of org anic 
agricultural production methods.  Non-official edition  
3. When economic entities are in a period of conversion from traditional to organic production, 
products may only be labelled : “conversion period organic production”. This labelling  can 
only be allowed if the conversion p eriod production certificate is available.  
4. Organic agricultural production is subject to obligatory conformity certification.  
5. Organic foodstuffs that are produced, processed, and packaged in the Republic of Armenia, 
other substances connected with them, an d food additives should contain information 
established by the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On the Safety of Foodstuffs”, as well as 
information on the name or symbol of the certificating body.  
6. The procedure for labelling  organic foodstuffs that are pro duced, processed, and packaged in 
the Republic of Armenia is established by the Government of the Republic of Armenia.  
 
Article 10. The Import and Export of Organic Agricultural Products  
1. Imported organic agricultural products should be accompanied by certi ficating documents 
from the exporting country’s authorized body, should be labelled  and marked in conformity 
with the requirements established by this law, international treaties and other legal acts of the 
Republic of Armenia, or, if these are absent, in conformity with international standards and 
norms. The importer should keep the above -mentioned certificating documents for at least 
two years.  
2. If, according to the RA Laws “On Plant Quarantine and Plant Protection” and “On 
Veterinary Science”, the importe d agricultural foodstuff has been subjected to quarantine 
measures that are not compatible with the requirements established for agricultural 
foodstuffs, the import loses its status of organic agricultural foodstuff.       
3. The body authorized to deal with imported organic agricultural foodstuffs has the following 
powers:  
1) To demand information on the substances, means and methods that have been used in the 
exporting country if the documents stipulated in Part 1 of this article are not available;  
2) To eliminate  ignorance among consumers by demanding that organic agricultural 
foodstuffs, herbs and edible plants be labelled  and marked according to the procedure  
defined by RA legislation.         
4. Provisions 1 and 2 of this Article shall not apply to crates of orga nic agricultural foodstuff 
that are imported into the Republic of Armenia under the tax regimes of “Transit 
Transportation”, “Import into a Customs Warehouse” and “Import into a Customs Free 
Warehouse”, which are established by the Customs Code of the Repu blic of Armenia.  
5. Organic agricultural production exported from the Republic of Armenia shall comply with 
the norms established by the importing country, or, if such norms are absent, in conformity 
with international standards and norms.    
 
 
Chapter 4  
State Support in the Field of Organic Agriculture  
 
Article 11. State Support in the Field of Organic Agriculture  
1. The main directions of state support in the field of organic agriculture are as follows:  
1) Assistance to introduce innovations and modern technol ogy; 
2) Organization of business -forums, exhibitions, fairs, thus strengthening economic 
cooperation between countries and fostering the export of organic agricultural 
production;  
3) Improvement of agricultural production infrastructures;  
4) Personnel training;  
5) Financing of ‘target projects’;  
6) Support foreseen by other legal acts.  
 Non-official edition  
 
Chapter 5  
Final Provisions  
 
Article 12. Responsibility for the Infringement of the Requirements of This Law  
Those who infringe the requirements of this law are liable according to the pr ocedure established 
by Law.  
 
Article 13. Entrance of the This Law into Force  
This Law will be effective one year after its official publication.  
 
SERZH SARGSYAN           
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA    
May 5, 2008  
Yerevan