Sri Lanka's Apex Organisation for Export Promotion
Organic regulations are formulated based on guidelines or basic standards provided by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and Codex Alimentarius. Presently, there are eight international certification agencies operating in the country as external inspectors or/and certification bodies.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board is setting up an independent body to obtain the 3rd country registration in Europe. This controlling authority will govern the Organic Sector in the country and register Sri Lanka in the 3rd country list of the EU, reducing the cost of certification and facilitating Organic products to penetrate the EU member countries.
This will also eliminate tariff barriers on organic agricultural products, and enable the exporters to be competitive in catering to the international markets and fetch a premium price.
Some Certification agencies such as Control Union – formerly known as SKAL International (Netherlands) and IMO (Switzerland) have local inspectors for carrying out inspection in Sri Lanka and also in the region. Presently, there are seven international certification agencies operating in the country, as external inspection or/and certification bodies as listed below
Organic agriculture is a sustainable form of agriculture, for both ecological and economic reasons. Sri Lanka has been at the forefront in organic agricultural exports ranging from spices, essential oils, and herbs to rubber. The industry is well equipped to supply the global market.