National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP)
First Edition: May 2001
Second Edition: January 2002
Third Edition- Consolidated Version: November 2002
Fourth Edition: June 2003
Fifth Edition: June 2004
Sixth Edition: May 2005
Seventh Edition: November 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER -1 Page No.
INTRODUCTION 1-11
CHAPTER -2  
SCOPE AND OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE OF NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAMME  
2.1 Scope 12
2.2 Operational Structure 13
2.3 Organizational set up 14-18
CHAPTER -3 19
NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR ORGANIC PRODUCTION (NSOP)  
  APPENDIX 1 ORGANIC CROP PRODUCTION 20
1. Crop production plan 20
2. Conversion requirements 21
3. Duration of Conversion Period 21- 22
4. Landscape 22-23
5. Choice of Crops and Varieties 23
6. Diversity in crop production and management plan 23-24
8. Pest, Disease and Weed Management 25-26
9. Contamination Control 26-27
10. Soil and Water conservation 27
11. Collection of non cultivated material of plant origin/forest produces       27-28
Annex 1 Products  for use in fertilizing and soil conditioning 29-31
Annex 2 Products for plant pest and disease control 32-34
Annex 3 Procedure to evaluate additional inputs to organic agriculture 35-39
  APPENDIX 2 ORGANIC LIVESTOCK, POULTRY & PRODUCTS 40
1. Scope 40
2. General Principles 40
3. Organic Management Plan 41
4.Choice of breeds, Source and Origin 41-42
5. Livestock Identification and Animal Record Keeping 42
6. Housing Management 43-46
    6.1 Special Conditions for mammals 44
    6.2 Special Conditions for Poultry 45
    6.3 Special Conditions for Silkworms 46
    6.4 Special Conditions for Rabbits 46
7. Conversion Period for Animal Production 47
    a. Bovine including Buffalo 47
    b. Ovine and caprine (sheep & goat) 48
    c. Pig 48
    d. Small mammals (such as Rabbits) 48
    e. Poultry 48
8. Feed 48-51
    8.1 General criteria for feed stuff and nutritional criteria 49
    8.2 Specific criteria for feedstuff and nutritional elements 50
    8.3 Specific criteria for additives and processing aids 50
9. Health care 51-53
10. Breeding and Management 53
11. Manure and urine excreta management 54
12. Transport 55
13. Slaughter of the animals 56-57
Annex 1 Minimum surface area indoors & outdoors and other characteristics of housing in different species and types of production 58
Annex 2 Permitted list of feed materials, feed additives & processing aids for animal nutrition 59-68
Annex 3 Enzymes and their sources permitted for use in Animal/Poultry 69-70
Annex 4 List of diseases for herd/flock diagnosis 71
Annex 5 Antibiotic/antibacterial withdrawal period 72-73
Annex 6 Products authorized for cleaning and disinfection of livestock buildings and installations 74
  APPENDIX 3 ORGANIC BEE KEEPING/APICULTURE 76
1. Choice of breed/strains 76
2. Conversion period 76
3. Hiving the Honey Bees 76-77
4. Apiary Management 77-78
5. Feed 78
6. Health care 78
7. Breeding and management 78-79
8. Periodic cleaning 79
 9. Record keeping 79
10. Transport /migration 79-81
11. Production extraction 81-82
12. Extraction of honey 82
13. Extraction of beeswax 83
14. Crop pollination 83
15. Conservation of bee Flora 83
Annex 1 List of notifiable honey bee diseases 84
Annex 2 Approved products in beekeeping for Disinfestations/cleaning/disease-pest control 85
  APPENDIX 4 ORGANIC AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION 86
1. Organic management plan 86
2. Conversion period 86-87
3. Ecosystem management 87-88
4. Selection of site 88
5. Choice of breeds and strains 89
6. Source of seed and breeding 89-91
7. Culture practices 91
8. Pond preparation 91
9. Stocking 91-92
10. Pond management 92-93
11. Bivalve farming 93
12. Supplementary feeding 94-95
13. Health management 95
14. Harvest and transportation 95
15. Processing 96
16. Mandatory visit for the accredited Certification Bodies 96
Annex 1Classification of water bodies for bivalve farming 97
Annex 2 Approved list of Aquaculture inputs 98-99
Annex 3  Prohibited list of Aquaculture inputs 100
Annex 4  List of prohibited antibiotics and pharmalogically active substances for aquaculture 101
Annex-5 List of permitted and prohibited substances for use in aquaculture processing 102
  APPENDIX 5 ORGANIC FOOD PROCESSING AND HANDLING 103
1. Specific requirements 103
2. Pest and disease control 104
3. Ingredients 104-105
4. Processing Methods 105-106
5. Packaging 106
6. Labeling 106
    6.1 Labelling requirements 106
    6.2 Processed products 107-108
7. Storage & Transport 108
Annex 1 (a) Food Additives Including Carriers for Use in Production of Processed Organic Food 109-110
Annex 1 (b)   Processing Aids and other products for use for processing of ingredients of Agricultural Origin from organic production 111-112
Annex 2      Approved Products for Packaging of Organic Food Stuffs 113
CHAPTER -4
ACCREDITATION OF CERTIFICATION BODIES
4. ACCREDITATION CRITERIA 114
4.1 Categories for accreditation 114
4.2 General criteria and principles 115
4.2.1 Legal entity/organization structure 115-116
4.2.2 Management 117
4.2.3 Quality System 117-118
4.2.4 Competence 118-119
4.2.5 Independence 119
4.2.6 Accountability and responsibility 119
4.2.7 Objectivity 119-120
4.2.8 Credibility 120
4.2.9 Internal Audits and management review 120
4.2.10 Public information 120-121
4.2.11 Documentation and document control 121-122
4.2.12  Confidentiality 122
4.2.13   Participation 123
4.2.14 Non-discrimination 123
4.2.15 Personnel 123
4.2.16  Sub-contracting 123-124
4.2.17  Conflict of interest 124
4.2.18 Other functions 124-125
4.2.19 Annual reports 125
4.3 Inspection and Certification  
4.3.1 Inspection and certification procedures 125
4.3.1.1 Inspection

126-128
4.3.1.2 Inspection methods and frequency 128-129
4.3.1.3 Risk Assessment 129
4.3.1.4 Analysis and residue testing 129-130
4.3.1.5 Inspection of parallel production of farms 130-131
4.3.1.6 Inspection of processing units 131-132
4.3.1.7 Inspection of grower groups 132-133
4.3.1.8 Inspection of wild product collection 133
4.3.1.9 Inspection of all stages in handling 133
4.3.1.10 Inspection of packed products 134
4.3.1.11 Inspection of storage facilities 134
4.3.1.12Inspectionof of transport facilities 134
4.3.1.13 Inspection of chain of custody 134
4.3.1.14 Inspection for detection of use of Genetically engineered products 134-135
4.4 Certification 135
4.4.1 Certification procedure 135- 136
4.4.2 Re-certification 136
4.4.3 Certification decisions 136
4.4.4  Disciplinary measures and sanctions 136-137
4.4.5 Withdrawal of certification 137
4.4.6 Certification records and reports 137
4.4.6.1 Contract with operator 137
4.4.6.2 Operator files 137-138
4.4.6.3 Records 138- 139
4.4.6.4 Marks and certificates 139
4.4.6.5 Scope Certificate 139
4.4.6.6 Transaction certificate 139-140
4.4.7    Certified operators 140
4.4.7.1 Information to the operators 140
4.4.7.2 Records and documentation maintained by the certified operator 141
4.4.7.3 Complaints record 141
4.4.7.4 Appeal record 141
4.4.8    Input approval off farm inputs 141
4.4.9    Approval of commercial inputs 141-142
4.4.10  Shifting of operators 142
4.4.11  Exchange of information 142
4.5 ACCREDITATION PROCEDURE 143
4.5.1 Application for Accreditation 143
4.5.2  Documentation Review 144
4.5.3  Evaluation 144-145
4.5.4 Conformity report 145-146
4.5.5 Review of evaluation report 146
4.5.6 Review of assessment report and decision by the NAB 146-147
4.5.7 Grant of accreditation 147
4.5.8 Accreditation contract 147
4.5.9 Certificate of accreditation 147
4.5.10  Tracenet 148
4.5.11 Annual Surveillance and review evaluation of accredited certification bodies 148
4.5.12 Renewal of accreditation 148- 149
4.5.13 Complaints 149
4.5.14  Sanctions 149
4.5.15 Categories of offences 150
4.5.16 Categories of sanctions 150
4.5.17 Procedure to be followed for imposing sanctions 150- 151
4.4.18 Penalties not to interfere with other punishment 151
4.4.19 Appeal 151-152
4.4.20  Reciprocity 152
4.4.20.1 National 152
4.4.20.2 International 152
  Annex-1 Conditions for imposing sanctions 153-155
  Annex-2 Guidelines for equivalency recognition and Conformity Assessment Recognition with trading partner countries  
CHAPTER -5
GUIDELINES FOR CERTIFICATION OF GROWER GROUPS
5.1 Scope 156
5.2 Constitution of the ICS 157
5.3 Internal control system (ICS) 157-158
5.4 How to develop an ICS 158
5.4.1 Internal Control System Manager (ICS Manager) 158-159
5.4.2 Internal inspectors 159
5.4.3 Approval manager/committee 159
5.4.4 Field officers 159
5.4.5 Purchase officer 159
5.4.6 Warehouse manager 159
5.4.7 Processing manager 160
5.5 Internal Standards 160
5.6 Conflict of interest 160
5.7 Scope of certification 161
5.8 Trade 161
5.9 Procedures for implementation of Internal Control System 161
5.9.1 Registration of members 161
5.9.2 Provision of documents to the members of the grower group 161
5.9.3 Provision of exit of members from grower groups 162
5.10 Operating Document 162-163
5.10.4.1 Critical control points for risk assessment 163
5.11 Internal Inspection 163-164
5.12 Internal Approvals 164
5.13 External inspections by accredited Certification Bodies 164
5.13.1  Sampling plan 164-165
5.13.2 Risk assessment 165
5.13.3 Sampling pattern for verifying the ICS by the accredited Certification Body 165-166
5.14 Yield estimates 166
5.15 Non-compliances and sanctions 166
5.16 Training of ICS Personnel 166
5.17 Training of farmers 166-167
5.18 Buying procedures 167
5.19 Storage and handling procedures 167
5.20 Processing 168
Annex 1 ICS Application form (for use by the farmer) 169
Annex 2 Farmers Contract with ICS 170-171
Annex 3 Farm Diary (for ICS) 172-174
Annex 4 Format for Sanctions by ICS 175
Annex 5 Internal Inspection Checklist 176-178
Annex 6 Format for developing ICS internal standards in local languages 179-180
Annex 7 Application format for exit of farmer from ICS 181
Annex 8 Exit approval format for a member farmer from a grower group 182
CHAPTER -6
ORGANIC CERTIFICATION MARK
6.1 Organic Logo 183
6.2 Specifications 183
6.3 Concept of Organic Logo 183-184
6.4 Regulations governing use of the certification 184
Trade mark ‘ India Organic Logo’
    6.4.1 Short Title and commencement 184
    6.4.2 Definitions 184-185
    6.4.3 Proprietorship of the India Organic Logo: Authorized users 185-187
6.5 Manner of applying for licence 187-188
6.6 Grant of licence 188-190
6.7 Conditions of a licence 190-194
6.8 Fees 195
6.9 Undertaking 195
6.10 Surveillance and regular review 195
6.11 Use of certification Trade Mark 195
6.12 Publicity 195-196
6.13 Obligations of the applicant 196-197
6.14 Surrender of Licence 197
6.15 Powers of the accredited Certification Body 197-199
6.16 Misuse of licence 199
6.17Appeals 199
Form 1 Application for grant of licence to use the certification mark 200-203
Form 2    License for the use of India Organic Logo Certification mark 204-205
Form 13 Declaration 206
  APPENDIX 6 ORGANIC ANIMAL FEED PROCESSING AND HANDLING 207
1. General Requirements 207
2. Cleaning, Disinfection and Pest Control 208
3. Ingredients 209
4. Processing 210
5. Processing Facilities 211
6. Processed Products 211
7. Packaging 212
8. Labelling 212
9. Storage and Transport 213
  Appendix 7 ORGANIC MUSHROOM PRODUCTION 215
1. General 215
2. Organic Management Plan 215
3. Management of Production Site 215
4. Substrate and Growing Media 215
5. Fungus Spawn 216
6. Conversion 216
7. Pest Control and Sanitation 216
  Appendix 8 ORGANIC SEAWEED, AQUATIC PLANTS AND GREEN HOUSE CROP PRODUCTION 217
1. General 217
2. Organic Management Plan 217
3. Specific Requirements for Seaweeds 217
    3.1 Collection from wild 217
    3.2 Cultivation in sea and inland tanks 218
4. Aquatic Plants Including Algae 219
5. Green House Crop production 220-221