YOGYAKARTA - Association of organic farming activists who joined in Indonesia Organic Alliance (AOI) urged the government to review the obligations of organic certification for small farmers. As a solution, the government asked to recognize the quality assurance system of community-based organic. President of AOI, Sabastian Elilyas Saragih said, thousands of organic farmers in Indonesia are now shackled with ISO 6729:2010 regulations. Because, in the regulation the government imposes a mandatory requirement of certification for organic agricultural products to be traded market. In fact, the funds required for the certification process is not small. The cost of national certification in Java cheapest Rp 5 million per unit per year of farming.

"These costs will be more expensive for farmers outside of Java. Its expensive cost of certification has resulted in small-scale organic farmers out of opportunities to improve their welfare, "he said in Yogyakarta yesterday. AOI Members of the House of Representatives, Sigit Prihandono added, the ISO 6729:2010 regulation automatically trade the activities of non-certified organic products is a violation of Law No. 8 / 1999 on Consumer Protection.

source: AOI (www.organicindonesia.org) Monday, June 13, 2011