You have probably seen products which are certified organic-that is, certified to have been grown, processed and packaged without the use of any synthetic chemicals. Organic certification is the longest-standing type of certification in the marketplace today. Independent third-party organic certification bodies came into being in response to the consumer's need to be able to verify claims made by producers and marketers of organic products, especially food. These organic certifying bodies inspect organic production and processing systems yearly to verify compliance to a set of standards which can vary slightly depending on the certifying body.
Today there are many, many certifiers operating in the organic marketplace.
To date, it has over 600 organic organizations and institutions as members in 95 countries, a powerful testimony to the growing momentum of the organic agriculture movement. Today's consumer is voting with his or her money to support agricultural systems which prove via their certified status to be chemical-free. Today, OCIA's Guatemala Chapter has 17 members. Most of the Guatemalan members are coffee growers. Organic certification for them represents an important selling point.