Farming/Becoming An Organic Farmer
Steps to Becoming An Organic Farmer
Find out more about making your application and the procedures of becoming a fully certified organic farmer.
The Application Process
Converting to organic farming may seem a little daunting. However, our friendly certification team at the Irish Organic Association is here to help and talk you through the process. We can send you an information pack with all the details you need to apply.
Remember you can contact the Irish Organic Association today by telephone 090 643 3680 or email info@irishoa.ie to discuss any questions you may have about your prospective application that you can’t find here.
How to Apply?
Join the Irish Organic Association and become an organic farmer by following these 3 key steps.
Step
Complete our Application Form and Conversion Plan to register with the Irish Organic Association (IOA)
Step
Fill out the first page of the ORG1 fom and include it in your IOA Application
Step
Register for the Department’s Organic Farming Scheme via Agfood.ie (if applicable)
Conversion plans can be prepared by a farm advisor or independently by the farmer applicant. An organic farmland conversion typically take 2 years from the day you start. Once completed you will be awarded full symbol statusand can market your products as organic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Certification team has put together a series of Frequently Asked Questions to explain how the standards fit in with your farming system. If you have any further queries, please call us by telephone 090 64 33680 or email info@irishoa.ie
Forms & Guidance
Once these forms are submitted to the Irish Organic Association you can apply for the Organic Farming Scheme via Agfood.ie.
The Steps to organic certification
Application
Inspection
Certification
Panel Decision
License
Issued
Annual
Renewal
License
Issued
Annual
Inspection
Certification
Panel Decision
Application
All prospective or existing organic farmers who wish to join the Irish Organic Association should submit their application form along with the relevant documentation and payment to our certification team. Please get in touch if you have questions about filling in the form.
Initial inspection
Once we have received and reviewed your application, an Irish Organic Association inspector will contact you directly to arrange a convenient date to inspect your farm. The inspector will assess the farm, products and records for compliance with our Organic Food and Farming Standards.
When the inspection is complete, the inspector will forward the inspection report form and summary to our certification team. If necessary, you may need to propose amendments to your plan and send these relevant details back to us.
Certification
Our Certification team will review your inspection report and where applicable your responses to the compliance sheet. If everything is in order, your file will be submitted to our independent Certification Panel for review. Following the Certification Panel meeting we will issue your first licence/trading schedule.
Licence Renewal
Each year your organic licence will need to be renewed. The Irish Organic Association issue Annual Renewal Forms at the end of the year for renewal of the licence. These forms need to be completed and returned to our certification team with the annual renewal fee.
Annual inspection
We will need to inspect your farm every year. You will be directly contacted by your inspector to arrange a convenient date. The Irish Organic Association aims to make the process of certification as straightforward as possible. If you need further information about certain elements of the process applicable to your farm as well as our procedures please do get in touch.
Remember that farmland conversions usually take 2 years. Once you have successfully completed your conversion period, you will be awarded full symbol status and can market your products as organic.