Procedure to Get ISO Certification for Livestock & Agriculture Industry in India
ISO Certification for Livestock & Agriculture Industry is very beneficial. Indeed, without having ISO Certification for Livestock & Agriculture or food business can cause severe damage. As most of us know, Agriculture/ Livestock is the cornerstone of existence, feeding the people of the globe and creating everything we need to survive and prosper. ISO is the acronym of the International Organization for Standardization. This organization sets international standards for products and processes that businesses and industry can use.
In short, ISO standards are standards that businesses and industrial companies have agreed upon among themselves to help guarantee quality and security.
Therefore, we will understand about the Livestock & Agriculture Industry, ISO Certification, and how all of us can benefit from it.
Know about ISO
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent and non-governmental body. It aims to make International Standards.
Therefore, ISO is a global network of national standards bodies with one member per country. Furthermore, ISO provides a stage for generating effective mechanisms through mutual harmony and collaboration with all stakeholders.
Why do we need to apply for ISO Certification for Livestock & Agriculture Industry?
We all consume food. The food industry comes from the Livestock / agricultural sector. Whether it’s animals or humans we all need proper standards for the safe consumption of foods. Otherwise, the whole ecosystem may start suffering.
That’s why to prevent this from happening, we need ISO Standards.
In addition, ISO standards on farming encompass all elements: irrigation, global GPS, agricultural equipment, animal welfare, and sustainable farming.
It aids in encouraging successful agricultural techniques & livestock farming practices while guaranteeing a satisfactory level of safety and quality for everything in the supply chain from farm to fork.
International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) Standards
The World Trade Organization’s agreement on technical barriers to trade emphasizes the vital role laid by International Standards in providing the technical foundation for global markets.
When this is done, conflicts are minimized and agreements are more. On this occasion it may be worthwhile to review the development of the new version of ISO 9000 Standards for Quality Management Systems, which have now become so essential for acceptance of products and services at the International level.
The ISO 9000 Standards originally evolved for Quality Management Systems for manufacturing units. The same formulation was then extended to service and software fields. There has been a need felt over the years for a generic system which is all comprehensive and at the same time easily applicable to the business of the user, whether it be in manufacturing or service or software fields. Also in the meantime the environment management standards have come in. Taking into account all this and the fact that the ISO 9000 Standards were last revised in 1994, ISO’s Technical Committee TC 176 had taken up the task of bringing out “Year 2000” revision. This is expected to be announced at the end of year 2000, though by now the finalized draft has been circulated which contains all the essential features.
The changes
The current ISO 9000 family of Standards contains over 20 Standards and documents. The year 2000 ISO 9000 Quality Management Standards (QMS) on the other hand will have only three primary standards, which are
1. ISO 9000 – Quality Management Systems – Fundamentals and vocabulary
2. ISO 9001 – Quality Management Systems – Requirements
3. ISO 9004 – Quality Management Systems – Guidance for Performance
Improvement
The current ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003 Standards will be consolidated into a single ISO 9001 Standards. A reduction of scope of the ISO 9001 requirements will be permitted to omit clauses that do not apply to a particular organization. In addition to the three core standards, ISO 10011, the auditing standard will be consolidated with the ISO 14010, ISO 14011 and ISO 14012 environmental auditing standards.
Principles of revision
The principles driving the revision process are:
- Applicability to all product and service sectors and to all sizes of organizations,
- Simplicity to use, clear in language, readily translatable and easily understandable,
- Ability to connect Quality Management Systems to organizational processes,
- Provision of a natural stepping-stone towards performance improvement,
- Greater orientation toward continual improvement and customer satisfaction,
- Compatibility with other management systems, such as ISO 14000, for Environmental Management,
- Need to provide a consistent basis and address the primary needs and interests of organizations in specific sectors such as aerospace, automotive, medical devices, telecommunications and others.
Process Model: The revision of the ISO 9000 QMS makes a radical change and repositions the 20 elements of the current ISO 9001 into four parts.
- Management responsibility
- Resource Management
- Product and/or Service realization
- Measurement, analysis and improvement
The process model is similar to the well-known Deming’s PDCA (Plan, Do, Check and Act) cycle of quality improvement. This kind of a structuring permits the applicability of this model to any business or service. The concept of continuous improvement is intended to stimulate the efficiency of the organization, to increase its competitive advantage in the market and better respond to customers’ needs and expectations.
Another new item that has been addressed is the measurements to evaluate customer satisfaction, providing key information for continuous improvement. In terms of resources, attention has been given for the need to provide and make available all necessary resources, which will now include elements such as information, communication, infrastructures and work environment protection. Changes have also occurred in terminology. Now the more natural term “organization” is used instead of “supplier” in the old standard. The expression “product and service” is used instead of only “product” as was in the old standard. These changes are friendlier with the normal use and meaning of the words. Also compatibility with ISO 14001 environmental standards is sought to be achieved through informative annexes correlating the clauses.
Transition
There is an ISO document on Transition Planning Guidance to help the change over. Further authentic information regarding revision can be obtained from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which has played a leading role in the deliberations of the ISO’s Technical Committee. Since the new standards are integration and simplification of the older one, transition should be easy and also there is sufficient time given for the process.
The process model is well suited to really focus on the needs of customers and if genuinely implemented should help the growth of business. In fact this is the real essence of the change over. While the past standard no doubt implied this, there was no explicit requirement to measure customer satisfaction and initiate continuous improvements. On the other hand, in the new standard these are explicit and essential part of the elements. Also they include other interested parties (suppliers, owners, employees and society) under management responsibility.
Over 5,000 firms in India are estimated to have obtained ISO 9000 Certification so far. It is no more a luxury but has been considered commonplace for achieving standards of product or service. There has also been the unfortunate side, namely the creeping in of the “certificate culture”. Once the certification is obtained, organizations tend to be complacent and do not effect continuous improvement. What the customer needs is not a certificate to be shown to him but provision of an improved product and service, which is by itself the best certificate that any organization can get. This has been the secret of the Japanese and Korean success. The new standards will help simplify the procedural part and invigorate the commitments of organizations to continuously provide better products and services to their customers.
Understand the benefits of applying ISO Certification for Livestock & Agriculture Industry
- Firstly, The primary beneficiaries of the ISO Animal husbandry & agricultural standards are farmers, manufacturers, and food producers. For example, ISO standards can assure that production is smooth and facilitate worldwide commerce.
- Secondly, ISO standards assist companies in fulfilling the legal and industrial demands by establishing working safety, traceability, and quality measures for everything from farming tools and types of equipment to finished foodstuffs.
- Lastly, In food manufacturing, ISO standards aim to improve efficiency, sustainability, and traceability. Additionally, They also share a common worldwide language.
Which standards or ISO certificates are for the Agriculture Industry?
There are several ISO Certifications for the Livestock/ Agriculture Industry. Each comes with its benefits. Let’s look at some of the most important and basic ones.
About ISO 22000 Certification
The standards of the ISO 22002 series provide the implementation and maintenance guide for programs relating to the fundamental conditions, activities, and safety across the food chain. It also specifies in detail the Food safety and hygiene requirements at every step of the food business. Lastly, The ISO 22000 Certification assists farmers in maintaining food safety dangers connected with the composition of feed and animal food.
ISO 14001 Environmental Management System
Sustainable farming is an important goal for ISO, and we have standards for Livestock/ agricultural production. These standards are under ISO 14001 Certification. We all know the Livestock /agriculture industry has to face many problems relating to Environment. For instance, Soil erosion, fertility loss, Water reduction, and Land Degradation. Therefore, implementing ISO 14001 Environmental Management System standards in the agriculture industry can implant good practices. These good practices can help eliminate the problems relating to Environment. As a result, agriculture sees higher growth and more credibility.
ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management System
The ISO has more than 840 standards associating with every stage in the food production chain, from crops and animals to what lands on our plates. For example, terminology, sampling, methods of test and analysis, product specifications, food and feed safety, quality management, and requirements for packaging, storage, and transportation. Therefore, implementing ISO 9001 Certification helps businesses in setting up a quality management system. Furthermore, it results in managing the best quality of food reliable to be sold worldwide.
Which ISO Standards Are For The Agriculture Industry?
The farming sector is supported by various ISO standards, each with its own benefits. The most common ones are:
ISO 14001 defines principles and requirements for developing and maintaining an effective environmental management strategy. As we all know, the agriculture sector deals with several issues relating to the environment, such as land degradation, fertility loss, water reduction, and soil erosion. Thus, ISO 14001 helps promote good practices that reduce environmental impact and ensure legal compliance.
The ISO standard aims to promote successful agriculture operations in the food production chain. It ensures food safety by implementing best practices for quality management, sampling, product specifications, methods of test and analysis, and requirements for packaging, transportation, and storage.
- ISO 22000: Food Safety standard
The ISO 22000 certification provides food safety management guidelines for global food chains. It is based on the fundamental principles of ISO 9001 to create, deploy, maintain, and enhance food safety management structures based on business risks.
This ISO standard helps organisations reduce hazardous factors to protect customers, employees, and the general public from possible accidents, injuries, and diseases.
What Are The Benefits Of ISO Certifications In The Agriculture Industry?
- Promotes quality and safety– The ISO standards for agriculture implement the best practices for an efficient supply chain and safety for food products.
- Facilitate global trade– Agriculture ISO certifications promote international trade by providing a common global language. This standardisation helps promote smooth processes for cross-border business.
- Increased efficiency– ISO standards seek to increase efficiency, traceability, and sustainability in food manufacturing. In addition, these standards help companies meet legal, environmental, and industrial requirements by ensuring working safety and quality measures for farmland operations, farming tools, equipment, and finished food products.
- Environmental management– Agriculture and farming international standards help certified companies manage their environment by implementing sustainable methods. With proper farming operations in place, your business can be a leader in fostering eco-friendly processes.
- Meet requirements– Implementing agriculture ISO certifications will help your company fulfil the necessary industry and legal demands. You can achieve this by establishing quality control measures for your operations, including materials, machinery, and workforce. These ISO standards are developed by international experts and can help you comply with public policy standards.
Pre-Requisite to ISO Certification Process in India
Choosing the type of ISO Certification
First of all, you need to choose the type of ISO certification required for your business. There are various types of ISO certification available such as :
- ISO 9001 2008 – Quality Management
- ISO 14001 – Environmental Management
- ISO 27001 – Information security Management
- ISO 22008 – Food Safety Management and so on.
Choosing an ISO Certification Body
It must be noted that ISO itself does not provide certification to the companies. Certification is done by the external bodies. It is very important that you choose recognized and credible certification body. While choosing the ISO registrar, you should keep the following in mind:
- Evaluate several ISO Certification service providers.
- Check if they are following the CASCO standards. CASCO is the ISO committee that works on issues relating to conformity assessment.
- Check whether it is accredited or not. Accreditation is not compulsory but they must meet the requirements of ISO Accreditation bodies.
Process for ISO Certification in India
Create an application /contract
The applicant and the registrar should agree on a contract. This contract usually defines rights and obligations of both parties and includes liability issues, confidentiality, and access rights.
Quality Documents Review
The ISO auditor will view all your quality manuals and documents related to various policies and procedures being followed in the organization. Review of existing work will help the ISO auditor to identify the possible gaps against the requirements stipulated in the ISO standards.
Make an Action Plan
After the ISO auditor communicates the existing gaps in your organization, you should prepare an action plan to eliminate these gaps. Prepare the list of the required tasks to be performed to bring the desired changes in your organization. You may be required to give training to your employees to work efficiently while adapting to new procedures. Make all the employees aware of the ISO standards in terms of work efficiency and quality standards.
Initial Certification Audit
The initial certification audit is divided into two categories- Stage 1 and Stage 2.
Stage 1: The ISO auditor will audit the changes made by you in the organization. They will then try to identify the possible non-conformities in your systems and procedures to the desired quality management system. They will divide these non-conformities into minor and major non-conformities. The applicant must carefully assess all these non-conformities and get it aligned as per the desired quality standards through modification in the techniques and processes used by the organisation.
Stage 2: After all the required changes are done in the organisation, the ISO auditor does the final auditing. The auditor will check whether all the non-conformities have been eliminated or not as per ISO quality standards. If the ISO auditor is satisfied, they will prepare the final ISO audit report and forward it to the registrar.
Completing the ISO Certification
After all non-conformities are addressed and all the findings are put in the ISO audit report, the registrar will grant you the ISO certification.
Surveillance Audits
Surveillance audit is basically conducted to ensure that ISO quality standards are being maintained by the organization.It is conducted from time to time.
Cost involved in the ISO Certification Process
Cost for getting ISO certification is not fixed and varies from organization to organization. The ISO certification agency calculates the cost of ISO certification separately for each organization after considering them on different parameters such as-
- Number of employees
- Number of Processes
- Level of risk associated with the scope of services of the organisation
- Complexity of the management system
- The number of working shifts etc.
Time involved in the ISO Certification Process
Time taken in completing the whole process of ISO certification also varies from organization to organization. The fair idea can be given by the ISO certification agency after assessing the size of the company. Generally, the time required to complete the process of ISO certification is approximate :
- Small organisations: 6-8 months
- Medium organisations: 8-12 months
- Large organisation: 12-15 months
ISO standards for Livestock & Agriculture
ISO standards for Livestock & Agriculture
Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
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Reference-On Request.
