Specific Trade Practices Program
Do you implement a specific trade practice that you want your consumers to know about?
For example, do you want your consumers to know that your employees are not exposed to pesticides, that you pay your employees a living wage, or that your operation is powered through solar energy?
We offer the Specific Trade Practices to entities in the USA who obtain National Organic Program (NOP) organic certification with QCS. Under our Specific Trade Practices program, QCS will certify up to 6 specific trade practices characteristic of your organic operation. You identify the trade practices that you wish QCS to certify, and we will include them in your regular audit and review. QCS will issue you a certificate listing the specific trade practices that we were able to verify.
How Does it Work?
1. The applicant notifies QCS of the specific trade practices that they wish to have verified.
2. QCS verifies the claims as part of the applicant’s annual organic auditing and review process. QCS can
only verify specific trade practices that meet the following conditions:
The trade practice must be:
• objectively verifiable– QCS must be able to verify the practice based on observable facts.
• self-contained– QCS must be able to verify the practice without reference to other standards.
Process:
To apply for Specific Trade Practices Certification, simply include the Specific Trade Practice Application and Fee Payment Form (see below to download) describing each trade practice that you wish to have reviewed. You may submit up to 6 practices. Your specific trade practices will be reviewed along with, and in the same manner as, yourorganic application.
Fees:
The QCS Specific Trade Practices Fee is $50.00/hour for first four hours of review. Subsequent
review will be billed at @40.00/hr + Inspection costs (usually inspection is done at the same time of your
organic inspection). See the Fee Structure below for more details. Please submit a completed Special Trade Practices Fee Payment Form with your application.
For more information regarding Specific Trade Practices certification:
Contact QCS through our Contact page, an email to qcs@qcsinfo.org, or a phone call to (352) 377-0133