(Japan Organic & Natural Foods Association) JONA aims to promote organic agriculture through certification of organic foods at all stages from production to consumers.
JONA (Japan Organic & Natural Foods Association)
A third party certification body to certify organic products • Approved as the registered certification body by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery in March, 2006 to certify organic products under JAS organic regulations. • Accredited under IFOAM-accreditation since 2002, ISO-65 since 2003, COR (Canada Organic Regime) since 2009, and recognized as a control body listed under equivalence agreement between Japan and EU. • Non profit, non-governmental organization approved as a legal entity by NPO Law implemented in 1999.
1-1 Operators subject to certification
i) Producers (family farmer , farmers group, farmers cooperative etc.) ii)  Processors iii) Re-packer iv) Importers Note: The above-mentioned organic operators of crop are regulated by organic JAS system. v) Handlers such as trader, warehouseman, and transporter who handle organic products can be certified to JONA Standard.
1-2 Scope of organic certification program
JAS Certification i)   Agricultural produce ii)  Processed food (excluding organic alcoholic beverage) iii) Livestock iv) Feed Note: It is mandatory for the operators to be certified to Organic JAS to label them with Organic JAS mark to claim 'organic' on agricultural produce and processed food of plant origin (i.e. processed food made from over 95% of plant). It is optional to put JAS Organic mark on other products. In order to attach Organic JAS marks, an operator must be certified to JAS.
JONA IFOAM Certification
i)   Agricultural produce ii) Processed food of plant origin (including organic beverage made from the ingredients certified to IFOAM Standards)
JONA Original Certification
i)   Livestock products ii)  Aqua-cultural products iii) Microalgae products iv) Crop and processed products excluded from organic JAS system such as sprout and alcohol beverage from the ingredients certified only to JAS. COR Certification & EU Certification (Japan, China & Taiwan) i)   Agricultural produce ii)  Processed food
1-3 Outlines of JONA Standards
i) Crops harvested on certified organic field can be certified as organic from the third year from the beginning of organic control. ● Materials allowed to use are listed in the standards. ● GMO and its derivative and/or radiation is prohibited. ii) Processed products in which over 95% of ingredients are certified organic are used and processed organically can be certified as organic. ● Co-mingling of the same kind of product used is prohibited. ● GMO and its derivative and/or radiation is prohibited. iii) Organic agricultural products must be labeled with organic JAS mark after certification ● Products which are certified under JONA IFOAM program can be labeled with JONA IFOAM mark. iv) Organic products excluded from JAS organic regulations can be certified by JONA. ● Organic products which are excluded from JAS organic regulations, such as organic aqua-cultural products can be certified by JONA, and be allowed to use JONA Original mark.
2. How to get Certification
The Certification Program clarifies procedures from application to introduction of certified organic products into the market. The summary from application to certification is as follows. i) Applicant ●An applicant for certification can be a member or a non member of JONA. An applicant who is contracted for production for a member can be an associate member. ●When an applicant becomes a member, JONA Organic Standards and JONA Certification Program will be sent for free. ●The cost of documents and utilization of JONA's certification system must be paid by non-members. ●The agreement for certification must be signed between the applicant and JONA about the contents of certification, confidentiality and violation. ii)  Submission of Application ●There are six (6) types of Application forms: Production Process Management Director of agricultural produce (i.e. producer), Production Process Management Director of processed food (i.e. processor), Re-packer, Importer, Trader and Warehousing. ●An applicant submits the completed forms and required attachments to JONA together with application fee of ¥20,000 (¥10,000 in case of a small family farmer).
iii) Inspection and Certification
●A competent and qualified person reviews application documents and decides acceptance of the application. ●After approval in this first review, an inspector is nominated and dispatched for on-site inspection. ●The inspector verifies accuracy of the information on the application by observing the organic fields, crops or processing factory or warehouse, and by hearing from applicant, manager and workers. ●The inspector submits a copy of on-site inspection outcome signed by the applicant and the inspection report to JONA. ●The applicant has to pay inspection fee to the inspector through JONA or the designated certification organization. ●The Certification Committee will decide approval or denial of the application. iv) Right and duties after approval ●After approval of certification, JONA issues (a) organic certificate and (b) certification number. ●JONA requests the certified operator for (c) submission of draft of labeling of organic products for the approval of JONA. ●In case of pending the decision due to insufficiency of conformity, the applicant can submit correction actions or consent of improving the given conditions. After approval of such improvement, the same procedure will be taken as that in case of approval. ●In case of denial, the applicant can appeal re-investigation to JONA according to the JONA’s Appeal Procedure.
3. Organization of JONA
●Qualification of JONA's member Crop, livestock, and/or aquatic producers, food processors, food handlers, scientists and consumers who are interested in the aims and policies of JONA and willing to cooperate are qualified to join JONA’ s member. ●Annual fee for a full member is ¥120,000 for corporation and ¥12,000 for family farmers. Annual fee for an associate member is ¥36,000. ●Scientists, laboratories and consumers can be qualified as supporting members who have no voting right. ●The initial fee to be a member is ¥50,000 for corporation and ¥5,000 for family farmers and consumers.
4. Operation of JONA
i)   Annual General Members Meeting It is held once a year to approve the previous year's performance and to decide the basic policies of activities and budget of JONA including election of directors and auditor and also revision of the Statute and of Organic Standards for the coming year.. ii)  Board of directors meeting It will instruct and supervise the Management Office which manages daily operation.
5. Strong points of JONA
●One of the most experienced certification organization in Japan. ●The core members of JONA are those who have been engaging in organic agriculture, organic processing and/or marketing organic products for a long time. ●JONA has been paying much attention to Japanese food life and its agricultural products such as rice, soy bean, vegetables, green tea, Japanese noodles etc. ●Even though JONA believe the principle of "local production and local consumption" is the best way for people's health and ecology of the nature, JONA accepts application for organic certification from overseas organic operators. ●JONA has good relations with the trustworthy certification organizations in foreign countries. ●Due to implementation of organic JAS system, JONA has made the trust agreement with such foreign certification organizations in order for JONA to certify organic products under organic JAS system.
6. How organic products produced in foreign countries to be marketed in
Japan
There are basically two methods to approve organic products in Japan. i) A Japanese or foreign certification organization approved and registered by MAFF can certify a foreign organic operator and register it at MAFF. For inspection, a Japanese certification body can utilize inspection report executed by a well established foreign certification body in case that the Japanese and the foreign certification bodies have an agreement for this purpose.   The certification bodies that JONA have the agreement with are In South America:  OIA and Argencert in Argentina In China: COFCC ii) Organic products certified in a country which has the state law equivalent to Organic JAS system can be exported with the relevant Government certificate and be marketed by a certified importer as organic in Japan.
7. Information of JONA
●Address: Takegashi Bldg. 3F. 3-5-3, Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan  104-0031 +81-3-3538-1851 ●Telephone: ●Fax: +81-3-3538-1852 ●E-mail: jonacontact@jona-japan.org ●Homepage: http//www.jona-japan.org ●Organic Standards and Certification Program of JONA are available upon request to JONA.
JAPAN ORGANIC & NATURAL FOODS ASSOCIATION
Takegashi Bldg. 3F, 3-3-5, Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.  104-0031