Biodynamic agriculture defines the quality of food as dependent on life forces sustaining our bodies in harmonious health. Hence, Demeter certification requires certification as per national organic standards as a pre-requisite, but Demeter standards go beyond organic standards in the following way:
In India, the Demeter Certification Office (DCO) of the Biodynamic Association of India is the authority of the certification. The basis of this certification is the Demeter Standard.
The DCO of BDAI works together with approved inspection bodies, which have trained Demeter inspectors to carry out Demeter inspections in India. The Demeter inspections are carried out annually in addition to the organic inspection.
The list of Approved Inspection Agencies is given below:
Before you apply to have your enterprise inspected for Demeter certification, please study the Demeter Standards diligently and check to see if the most important prerequisites listed below are already being met, or could be fulfilled in the immediate future::
It usually takes three years of conversion time to achieve Demeter certification. The conversion time can be shortened in some cases provided requirements are met. Kindly read the conversion section of the Demeter Standards for more details. The conversion brochure may also give you a fair idea of this process.
The enterprise, converting to Demeter, contacts the Demeter Certification Office in India.
The DCO checks the supplied information so as to assess whether the farm is sufficiently prepared to go into conversion.
The manager of the enterprise, along with an accredited Biodynamic Advisor, produces a management plan in which an overview of the whole conversion process is detailed.
The enterprise applies for membership in the Biodynamic Association of India (BDAI).
The manager of the enterprise attends an approved introductory course in Biodynamic agriculture conducted by the BDAI or approved centres.
The manager of the enterprise attends an approved introductory course in Biodynamic agriculture conducted by the BDAI or approved centres.
The Demeter inspection takes place annually, carried out by an independent, qualified Demeter inspector from an accredited inspection agency. As well as checking that the enterprise conforms to the regulation for organic agriculture with amendments, the additional requirements to meet the Demeter standards are inspected.
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