Demand along the value chain is growing for organic products, particularly in the European Union. The Centre for Systems Integration (CSI) can connect businesses with organic certification to access this critical European market.

After an extensive on-site witness audit process, CSI has received ISO Guide 65/EN 45011 accreditation from the German Accreditation Council DAR (Deutscher Akkreditierungs Rat). The audit was conducted by DAP (Deutsches Akkreditierungssystem Prüfwesen), a DAR recognized body responsible for accreditation of laboratories and organic certification bodies. Accreditation with DAR means that CSI meets the high standards required by European certification bodies, and enables CSI to certify Canadian clients to the EU organic regulations (EEC) 2092/91 – the best choice for reliable access to the European market.

“It is important to understand the certification requirements of the country to which you are applying for accreditation,” says Jim McCullagh, Executive Director of CSI. “To accomplish this, CSI felt that the accreditation body should be from the EU. We also obtained training from bio.inspecta, the largest Swiss organic certification body, and have benefited from working with FiBL, a world recognized organic consulting firm.”

McCullagh says the audit was a very positive and productive experience. “DAP stated that it is very evident CSI has a wealth of experience in operating certification systems,” says McCullagh. CSI has many years of experience with accredited systems for Canadian seed establishments, and is expanding its range of services to provide a convenient, one-stop shop for quality management systems.

The Centre for Systems Integration is a division of the Canadian Seed Institute. Created in response to the many certification needs of its seed clients, the Centre for Systems Integration is focused on providing integration of various certification systems and a linkage into value chains; expertise in the agriculture and food sector; and timely, efficient, and approachable service.