11
Aug
2021
Check Organic is a cloud platform that detects fraud within organic supply chains.
As showcased by many scandals, criminal fraudsters worldwide make big profits by selling less valuable, conventional products as high-quality organic ones. This development endangers the integrity and credibility of the entire organic sector and calls for international and local fraud prevention tools such as Check Organic.
Organic farmers, processors, wholesalers, retailers and certification bodies as well as industry bodies: all supply chain actors striving for organic integrity and professionalism can contribute to and benefit from the Check Organic platform. Furthermore, the tool can be implemented by authorities and governments to increase organic integrity within and across borders.
If you grow, process, sell or certify organic products, you know about the value of the organic brand and its vulnerability to fraud. Dishonesty can only be fought with honesty; deception can only be tackled through transparency. By providing certification and transaction data to Check Organic, you join in the fight against organic food fraud, enable the detection of irregularities, reduce your risk profiles and save time and money for integrity-related, additional checks and testing.
Check Organic maps and links certification and transaction data of organic products along the supply chain. Based on the certified organic acreage, expected yield and real-time transaction data, the system calculates a mass balance and checks the plausibility of produced vs. sold organic quantities. Whilst a product travels along the supply chain, Check Organic displays each operators’ certification status and the products’ integrity status via an intuitive traffic light system; revealing food fraud even before the product is sold on the market.
"The organic sector is especially attractive to fraudsters, since organic products sell for higher prices than conventional ones. Unfortunately, the organic control systems that are in place are not designed for our globalised, digitalised world. Many scandals have already affected the sector. When certification and product transaction data is not shared by all parties, falsified documents travel easily along supply chains. Check Organic provides a tested tool to counteract this." (Gerald A. Herrmann, Director of Organic Services)
Within the EU-funded FOODINTEGRITY project, we have proven that Check Organic can serve as a blueprint for any commodity that carries a specific quality claim. The tool can thus be applied not only within the organic sector, but throughout the entire food industry! We would like to encourage farmers, processors, traders and certifiers worldwide to provide data to the platform and to thereby create a transparency level that will not only ensure the integrity of supplies, but that will increase competitiveness towards those who prefer to conceal their business practices. But should honesty and transparency remain voluntary? No! We urge for a system-wide implementation of Check Organic/ Check Integrity by authorities such as governments, the EU, business sector associations or certification bodies.
Check Organic: Exposing Food Fraud(sters)
Check Organic - The global organic integrity platform (BIOFACH 2020)
Science Slam International ISO-FOOD Symposium Gerald A. Herrmann, Organic Services
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