Risk Management

1. Risk Management • Risks that may jeopardize the organic quality must be known and taken into account in all internal procedures • Initial risk assessment has to be done • All necessary measures must be taken to minimize the risk

2. Potential Risks Exist on All Levels • Farm Production: e.g. farmers spraying as soon as prices for crop increase; government programs supplying free inputs • Sales/ Buying: farmers selling their family`s crop (in addition to their own), commingling during Purchase, purchase officers buying from uncertified farmers • Handling: commingling of products, contamination during storage, transport/export • Insufficient ICS: ICS staff insufficiently trained because of frequent changes, no means for internal inspection (e.g. no transport) A risk analysis should take into account all POTENTIAL problems even if ICS coordinator thinks that he/she has already taken appropriate countermeasures.

3. Potential Risk: Farmers Selling Other Farmers’ Produce Potential risk: Farmers their family members‘ produce Possible preventive and corrective measures: • Also register all family members and neighbors. • Have a good system of yield estimation; conduct last update just before buying; check strictly during purchase that estimated quantities not exceeded. • Make farmers aware that this is strictly forbidden and may jeopardize the organic project. Support social control mechanisms. • Buy only produce that was harvested in presence of field officers.

4. Potential Risk: Parallel Production Potential risk: The organic pepper farmer also has some non- organic fields, e.g. a coconut plot. This plot is not known to ICS. Problem: some pepper is intercropped with the non-organic coconut. Thus the farmer will also sell this non-organic pepper together with his/her organic pepper to the ICS operator. Possible preventive and corrective measures: • Always check all fields and crops that a farmer manages (compulsory anyway) • Option 1: Only register farmers who cultivate ALL crops organically • Option 2: Any product that is grown both organically and non-organically is de-certified and cannot be sold as organic. • Option 3: Farmers must convert non-organic plot to organic practices. Field officers must be present during purchase from organic plot to prevent commingling with conversion produce

5. Continuous Risk Management • Risks exist in every organic project. Some may be particularly probable and dangerous (high risk), some less probable and/or less critical (low or medium level). • It is important to be aware of potential risks, even if they may only occur rarely or if you think that you have already taken all necessary measures to prevent the problem. • Risks may change over time. Regular risk assessment is therefore recommended. • In all stages of an ICS, it is important that you are aware of your critical control points in order to adapt the system accordingly.