Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit covers the preparation of the enterprise for organic certification and defines the standard required to: identify requirements for organic certification and apply them to one's enterprise; identify critical points in supply chain at which the organic integrity of one's product may be compromised; implement and monitor effective risk management for those parts of supply chain under one's control; identify practices and strategies to minimise the risk of contamination and non conformance with organic standards; develop an operational plan for conversion to organic production.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to farmers who are preparing a production enterprise for compliance with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), accredited certification bodies and the National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Investigate and access information sources and support for conversion to organic production

1.1. Contact is established with other organic producers and marketers of organic products.

1.2. Other sources of support and advice, including agricultural extension officers and training programs, are identified and accessed.

1.3. Literature, industry publications and internet sources of information to support decision-making are assessed for usefulness and reliability.

1.4. Certification process requirements are obtained from certification bodies.

1.5. Roles and responsibilities of inspector, certifier and accreditation bodies, including role of AQIS, are investigated.

2. Conduct a risk assessment of the site

2.1. Previous land use and chemicals applied on the site are identified and documented.

2.2. Risk assessment for potential on-farm contaminants is undertaken and documented.

2.3. Potential contamination risk from off-farm land use and agricultural practices is assessed.

2.4. Risk management procedures to minimise potential contamination from internal and external sources are incorporated into a certification preparation plan.

3. Develop and implement hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) based procedures

3.1. Production processes and activities, and those sections of supply chain under one's control, are identified and documented according to enterprise procedures, certification bodies' requirements and the National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce.

3.2. Quality, organic and statutory product standards to be met are identified, documented and compared to actual standards achieved by product and enterprise.

3.3. Corrective actions or improvements to processes and activities are identified and documented.

3.4. Procedures and processes for monitoring and annual review are developed and implemented.

4. Manage customer feedback

4.1. Procedures are developed and implemented to obtain, analyse and respond to customer feedback on quality and integrity of organic product.

4.2. Product recall procedures are developed, communicated to relevant parties and monitored.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• conducting and documenting a risk assessment
• preparing an Organic Management Plan (OMP)
• reading and interpreting the National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce
• researching and evaluating information
• use literacy skills to fulfil job roles as required by the organisation. The level of skill may range from reading and understanding documentation to completion of written reports
• use oral communication skills/language competence to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification, negotiating solutions and responding to a range of views
• use numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record complex workplace measures
• use interpersonal skills to work with others and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities.

Required knowledge 

• certification process
• chain of custody
• HACCP principles and risk management
• health and food safety issues
• labelling requirements for domestic and export markets
• market for organic produce, including the organic movement and organic industry
• National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce
• principles of organic agriculture
• procedures and responsibilities in the case of product recall
• procedures for conducting and documenting a risk assessment
• regulatory requirements and their domestic and international contexts
• requirements of an OMP, including record keeping
• role of quality management systems in organic industry
• working knowledge of the regulated organic industry, including the role of AQIS, certification bodies and inspectors.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:

• identify requirements for organic certification and apply them to one's enterprise
• identify critical points in supply chain at which the organic integrity of one's product may be compromised
• implement and monitor effective risk management for those parts of supply chain under one's control
• identify practices and strategies to minimise the risk of contamination and non conformance with organic standards
• develop an operational plan for conversion to organic production.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

For valid assessment, one must have opportunities to participate in exercises, case studies and other real and simulated practical and knowledge assessments that demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to prepare an enterprise for organic certification.

The candidate must also have access to the following resources:

National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce

documented requirements of appropriate organic certification body.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

Enterprises may include:

• dairies
• cropping
• production horticulture
• transport
• poultry
• livestock
• post-harvest handling
• storage
• packaging
• labelling and selling to wholesalers, retailers or direct to consumers.

Unit sector 

Organic production

Co-requisite units 

Competency field