Training Schedule & Information

IOIA Training Schedule 2009

Chicago, Illinois - Canadian Organic Regime
IOIA and the Organic Trade Association (OTA) will cosponsor a 2-day workshop, Understanding the Canadian Organic Regime, on June 15-16 at the Lakeside Center, McCormick Place, in Chicago, Illinois in conjunction with the All Things Organic show. This is the most up-to-date and complete training available on the Canadian Organic Regime (COR). The COR is scheduled for full implementation on June 30. All organic products crossing provincial borders or coming into Canada must be in compliance after that date.

The training was developed through collaboration between Canadian Organic Growers (COG), OTA in Canada, the International Organic Inspectors Association, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). IOIA, COG, and OTA in Canada delivered 35 one-day workshops for producers, 4 one-day workshops for processors, and 8 two-day workshops for inspectors and certifiers in the first 3 months of this year. The event in Chicago is the first such training in the US. The training was first designed for certification agency staff and experienced organic inspectors, then adapted for producer and processor workshops.

Day 1 is particularly useful for those involved in processing, labeling, exporting, or marketing organic products in Canada. The intensive workshop covers the structure of the COR, the Canadian regulation, processing standards, and labeling. Matthew Holmes, OTA's managing director in Canada, will participate in this session. "The organic standards are extremely strict for food processing," Holmes says, "synthetic colors, flavors and preservatives are not allowed, and only very specific additives and cleaners are permitted." Day 2 covers the Crop and Livestock Production Standards. The training includes key differences between Canadian standards and those of the major trading partners, including USA. Canadian and US crop production standards are very similar, with some key differences. Livestock standards differ more significantly.

Certificates of Completion will be awarded to those attending Day 1 only and to those who attend both days.

Gyeonggi, Korea
IOIA and Korea Federation of Sustainable Agriculture Associations (KFSAO), will cosponsor a 4.5 day Basic Organic Processing Inspection Training using the Korea Organic Regulation as a reference. The course will be held in Gyeonggi, Korea July 13-17. For enquiries, please contact Isidor Byeongdeok Yu at Ph: +82-10-9133-5431 Fax: +82-2-796-2615 e-mail: community02@hanmail.net

Medina, North Dakota - reschuduled
IOIA and FARRMS will cosponsor a two-day workshop for processors in Medina at the FARRMS Training Facility. Originally scheduled for April 30 – May 1, this event has been rescheduled on October 22-23. This course is recommended for processors who are not yet certified or those newly certified. A limited number of spaces are also available for inspectors and certification staff. This project is funded in part by NCR-SARE. For an application form and more details, visit www.farrms.org or call 701.486.3569.

Gyeonggi, Korea
IOIA and Korea Federation of Sustainable Agriculture Associations (KFSAO), will cosponsor a 4.5 day Basic Organic Crop Inspection Training using the Korea Organic Regulation as a reference. The course will be held in Gyeonggi, Korea September 14-18. For enquiries, please contact Hyaekyung Hong at Ph: +82-10-2918-8446 Fax: +82-2-796-2615 e-mail: globalhong@hanmail.net

Wisconsin
IOIA and Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA) are developing Basic Crop and Livestock Inspection Trainings in early fall in Wisconsin. Tentatively, Demeter Association and IOIA will cosponsor Biodynamic™ Inspection Training in conjunction with the event.

California
IOIA will develop Basic Crop and Processing Inspection trainings in late fall/early winter in California. Tentatively, Demeter Association and IOIA will cosponsor Biodynamic™ Inspection Training in conjunction with the event.

Other trainings in development:
IOIA and Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA) are developing Basic Crop and Livestock inspection trainings in late summer/early fall in Wisconsin. Tentatively, Demeter Association and IOIA will cosponsor Biodynamic Inspection Training in conjunction with the event.

Watch upcoming IOIA newsletters and the website for details as these and other trainings develop.

Certificates of Completion are awarded to successful attendees.

Persons who fail the course and those who audit the courses receive Letters of Attendance. Deadlines for application are approximately 4-6 weeks prior to the course.

Crop courses include instruction on the certification process, organic standards, how to inspect organic farms, audit trail (record keeping) requirements, regulations, risk assessment, investigative skills, report writing, ethics, and effective communications. Inspection field trips are taken in small groups and each attendee completes a written inspection report. A satisfactory score on both the written assignment and written test are required to earn a Certificate of Completion.

Processing courses include instruction on how to conduct processing facility inspections, organic processing and handling standards, organic quality management, HACCP, audit control, regulations, structural pest management, sanitation, labeling, report writing, and inspector protocols. Inspection field trips are taken in small groups and each attendee completes a written inspection assignment. A satisfactory score on both the written assignment and written test are required to earn a Certificate of Completion.

Livestock courses include organic livestock standards, livestock materials, risk assessment, meat slaughter inspection, audit trail requirements, report writing, and organic inspection procedures for meat and dairy animals, fiber-bearing animals, and poultry (meat and eggs).

Advanced Inspector Trainings focus on specific topics. Attendees to Advanced courses must have completed a Basic Course previously and have at least 2 years of inspection experience with 20 inspections or 1 year experience with at least 30 inspections. Criteria for receiving a Certification of Completion is attendance.

Acceptance to IOIA Courses is limited.

IFOAM Internet Training Platform The IFOAM Internet Training Platform offers you free access to a broad range of high quality training materials on Organic Agriculture, announcements of organic training opportunities worldwide and contacts with institutions offering training in Organic Agriculture."


	Interested in learning about becoming an organic producer or processor? Need some basic organic agriculture experience and training? Follow this link for more info.