Filipino companies are advised to secure organic certifications for their products as the organic trend is rising, backed by a growing consumer focus on sustainability.
Tom van der Meulen, Managing Director of Control Union Philippines, said more firms are getting certifications which can lead to increased credibility, higher consumer recognition, enhanced branding, compliance, premium price and market access.
“To give you an example for organic, there are some customers in Asia, Europe and the Americas that will only purchase and sell organic products. If you don’t have the certification, then you do not have access to that market,” Van der Meulen said during the Usapang Exports hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau.
“But it is not only organic. There are also consumers and customers that only buy certain products that are following social certification, social programs so if you do not have that certification in place, you will not have access to that market,” he said.
Van der Meulen said most of the trends are that more countries require firms producing organic materials to follow the requirements involving not using any synthetic fertilizers, synthetic chemicals, pesticides or herbicides, and not using genetically modified organisms.
In the Philippines, van der Meulen said there has been a significant increase in the number of producers of organic products.
“(There have been) benefits for organic for different stakeholders. The benefit for consumers is that it improves health quality and sustainability of products that they purchase and they consume. And for the producers, it can lead to premium prices for the product because the certification can be evidence of the organic status of their supply to their customers,” he said.
Van der Meulen said certification schemes can help the most sustainable farmer practices to ensure the products are produced in a responsible environmental practice.
He said sustainability is an important aspect for not only businesses but also for governments today.
“It’s becoming the new standard so public and private entities are adapting and including sustainability into their policies, into their laws and regulation, so having something to measure and to be verified and having something to report to your clients will definitely help with that competitive edge,” he added.
Van der Meulen said sustainability is the new standard, and will grow on sustainable certification.
“The increase in the industries and sectors that are adopting these standards –from the agri industry to the aqua industry, and from the forestry industry to the textile industry. You see that more companies are adopting sustainable related practices and programs,” he said.
Van der Meulen further said more and more existing standards and certificates are now adopting and incorporating sustainable practices into their schemes and certification.
“One example is the Global GAP which stands for Good Agricultural Practices. They are now incorporating more and more environmental requirements in their standards because it is of importance for the customers,” he said.
