Information Package / Course Catalogue
Control and Certification of Organic Agriculture
Course Code: ORT218
Course Type: Required
Couse Group: Short Cycle (Associate's Degree)
Education Language: Turkish
Work Placement: N/A
Theory: 2
Prt.: 0
Credit: 2
Lab: 0
ECTS: 2
Objectives of the Course

The objective of this course is to provide students with the theoretical and practical foundations of inspection, control, and certification processes, which form the cornerstone of organic farming activities. The course aims to enable students to analyze national and international organic farming legislation, understand the operating mechanisms of authorized certification bodies, manage the transition period, and master packaging/labeling standards, while developing solution-oriented approaches to challenges faced during certification.

Course Content

Definition, significance, and historical development of control and certification concepts in organic agriculture; structure and operations of Control and Certification Bodies (CCB). Procedures for organic farming applications, management of the transition period, and challenges encountered during this process. National and international organic farming legislation and regulations. Inspection methods at the field and processing levels, use of certification logos in packaging and labeling, common issues, and solution proposals.

Name of Lecturer(s)
Learning Outcomes
1.Explain the concepts of control and certification, and evaluate the socio-economic importance of this mechanism for a sustainable and reliable organic agricultural market.
2.Define the operational principles and jurisdictions of control and certification bodies, along with the legal steps an enterprise must follow to obtain organic certification.
3.Analyze organic farming legislation and relevant regulations to inspect production processes in accordance with legal standards.
4.Apply the requirements of the organic transition period, inspection criteria, and field auditing (traceability) methods in practice.
5.Analyze technical or administrative problems encountered during certification and packaging/labeling stages, and develop compliant solution proposals.
Recommended or Required Reading
1.Organik Tarım Mehmet Zengin
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
Week 1 - Theoretical
Information about course content, references, and establishing the chain of trust in organic agriculture
Week 2 - Theoretical
What is certification? Definition, basic concepts, and historical background
Week 3 - Theoretical
Importance of certification, assurances provided for producers and consumers
Week 4 - Theoretical
Information about certification bodies and their operational mechanisms
Week 5 - Theoretical
Procedures to be followed to obtain certification in an enterprise, application, and contracting stages
Week 6 - Theoretical
Relevant legislation, national (Republic of Turkey Regulations) and international (EU, NOP, etc.) legal frameworks
Week 7 - Theoretical
Common problems encountered during the certification stage and solution proposals-1
Week 8 - Theoretical
Common problems encountered during the certification stage and solution proposals-2 / Midterm Exam
Week 9 - Theoretical
How inspection is conducted in organic agriculture? Field, storage, and processing facility auditing techniques
Week 10 - Theoretical
Characteristics of the inspection system, risk analysis, sampling, and principles of traceability
Week 11 - Theoretical
The transition period in organic farming, management of conversion periods in crop and livestock production
Week 12 - Theoretical
Agro-economic and administrative problems encountered during the transition period and their solutions
Week 13 - Theoretical
Importance of certification in packaging, prevention of contamination, and protective measures
Week 14 - Theoretical
General characteristics of certifications on packaging, labeling rules, and logo usage
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Type of AssessmentCountPercent
Assignment1%5
Quiz1%5
Midterm Examination1%30
Final Examination1%60
Workload Calculation
ActivitiesCountPreparationTimeTotal Work Load (hours)
Lecture - Theory140228
Assignment1112
Individual Work140114
Quiz1112
Midterm Examination1112
Final Examination1213
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours)51
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
PÇ-1
PÇ-2
PÇ-3
PÇ-4
PÇ-5
PÇ-6
PÇ-7
PÇ-8
PÇ-9
PÇ-10
PÇ-11
PÇ-12
PÇ-13
PÇ-14
PÇ-15
PÇ-16
PÇ-17
PÇ-18
OÇ-1
3
2
2
1
2
2
1
2
3
2
3
1
3
1
2
2
2
OÇ-2
3
2
3
2
2
3
1
2
3
2
3
1
3
1
2
1
OÇ-3
3
2
3
2
2
2
1
2
3
3
3
2
3
1
2
3
2
2
OÇ-4
3
2
3
1
3
2
2
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
1
2
1
OÇ-5
2
3
2
1
3
3
2
2
3
2
2
3
1
3
1
3
2
2
Adnan Menderes University - Information Package / Course Catalogue
2026