Introduction to Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture

Program Offerings

Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute offers three types of certification: USDA National Organic Program certification for use of the term organic within the United States, International certification for clients wishing to use the term organic in international markets, and Maharishi Vedic Agriculture certification, for clients who wish to use the Maharishi Vedic Agriculture label and trademark as an additional, optional label claim.

Re-enlivening Natural Law in Agriculture for Supremely Pure, Nourishing Food

The Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute has been founded to re-enliven Natural Law in the profession of agriculture. One of the Institute’s principal goals will be to promote and certify pure Organic and Vedic Organic food—food that is not only free from the application of harmful chemical residues and genetic modification, but, in the case of Vedic Organic, food that is lively in the full intelligence of Natural Law—food that is grown in accordance with the ancient, time-tested principles of Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture.

Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute offers three types of certification: USDA National Organic Program certification for use of the term organic within the United States, International certification for clients wishing to use the term organic in international markets, and Maharishi Vedic Agriculture certification, for clients who wish to use the Maharishi Vedic Agriculture label and trademark as an additional, optional label claim.

Organic Agriculture, the Foundation of Vedic Organic Agriculture

The Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture program incorporates in its farming practices the most rigorous existing policies and standards for the production of pure organic food as provided in the USDA National Organic Program Rule.

Organic agriculture is a term used to include systems of agriculture that support the healthy and life supporting production of food through environmentally and socially sound production methods. Organic farmers adhere to globally accepted life supporting principles that are implemented in local economic, climatic, and cultural settings. Organic farming generally promotes health in the farmer, the food, and the environment. It uses methods that respect and uphold the natural capacity, well-being, and vitality of plants, animals, and the landscape.

Research studies indicate that organic farming produces food of a higher quality with more nutrients than conventional farming. However, at Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute we feel that there are deeper and more comprehensive principles that may be introduced into agriculture to ensure that our food supply is reliable, sustainable, and of the highest quality. In Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture we want the totality of Natural Law to be enlivened in agriculture. These new principles produce the best quality food while maintaining a high quality of life for the farmer. The Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Program is described in its completeness in other parts of this web site.

Farmers following the principles of Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture will rise to higher consciousness and live life in harmony with all the Laws of Nature. They will use recitation and knowledge of the sounds of Veda and the Vedic Literature—the sounds of Natural Law itself—to enliven the inner intelligence of the plants and livestock. The result will be good fortune for the farmer, plants bursting with the vitality of Nature’s Intelligence, and a healthy environment for the farmer to produce an abundance of life supporting food.

Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture will bring fulfillment to the organic farming movement by enlivening Natural Law in the awareness of the farmer. This will vitally nourish the link between the farmer, his crops, and the Laws of Nature at the basis of his profession and will bring the support of those Laws of Nature to insure success in all aspects of the farmer’s life. It will ensure success in all aspects of the food-growing process.

For more information, please see the education section of this web site.

The MVOAI Certification Program

Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute offers three different certification options: (1) a USDA National Organic Program organic certification program for use of the word "organic" in the USA; (2) the MVOAI International Certification Program for use of the word "organic" in Japan, the EU or other international locations, and (3) an additional, optional Maharishi Vedic certification program for clients who wish to meet the additional label requirements of the MVOAI Vedic Agriculture Program. The Maharishi Vedic program uses the ancient Vedic agricultural technologies recently revived by Maharishi to produce food of extraordinary purity and vitality, in which all the Laws of Nature have been enlivened.

All of the Institute’s certification programs also operate in compliance with the internationally accepted ISO Rule 65 governing the management and operation of certification agencies.

MVOAI offers an efficient 7 STEP program for gaining USDA organic, International, or Vedic certification. At MVOAI we consider it part of our responsibility to help you to understand and proceed comfortably through the steps of certification. Although certification, by law, involves extensive documentation to protect the integrity and quality of the certification process, we have made every effort to make the process comfortable and manageable, and to provide a program and quality guarantee that allows us to be sure that the organic or Vedic quality is met and maintained from farm to market.

Call or e-mail the MVOAI Certification Coordinator if you need help understanding our certification forms, certification procedures, certification standards or any step of the certification process. We will be happy to provide any additional information that you may need to understand or complete your certification. However, it is important to note that Federal law does not allow us to advise you on how to manage your operation in order to gain certification. We can only help you understand our certification procedures and requirements.

All communications between MVOAI and its clients should be direct from the client to the home office of MVOAI or to authorized branches of the Institute. Correspondence may be electronic, telephonic, or written and must be sent to the published postal address or to Web site and e-mail addresses.

Overview: Seven Steps of the Certification Process

The process to become certified or re-certified as USDA Organic or Maharishi Vedic by MVOAI is briefly outlined in the following 7 steps. Details of these steps are found in the MVOAI Policy Manual.

STEP ONE — The first step is to request an MVOAI Application Packet for the type of operation for which you are requiring certification, which includes the appropriate components of the following: MVOAI Farm, Livestock, and/or Processing/Handling Plan Questionnaire, the Field History Forms, Product Profile forms, the MVOAI Policy and Standards Manuals, and in the case of Maharishi Vedic certification, a copy of the Vedic Procedures Verification Forms. In addition to these basic forms, many additional forms are available on the MVOAI web site (www.mvoai.org) to help you in your record keeping

STEP TWO — Upon receipt of the Certification Application Packet, we request that you review the Policy and Standards Manuals and fee structures. If you have any questions about determining your fee structure please contact the MVOAI Certification Coordinator. These manuals make very clear the requirements for our USDA organic, international, and Vedic certification. A complete understanding of their contents serves as the first step in the application and qualifying process. Having read the Policy and Standards Manuals, if you feel you will qualify for certification and wish to proceed, the next step is to carefully review the Certification Application Packet and fill out, as appropriate, the Application Form, Farm/Livestock Plan or Processing/Handling Plan, and Field History Forms, Product Profile forms, and, in the case of Vedic Organic certification, the Vedic Procedures Verification Forms.

Please complete all parts of the forms carefully and in complete detail. Please call or e-mail the MVOAI Certification Coordinator if you have questions about completing the forms. Incomplete forms will be returned for completion. The completed Certification Application Materials are sent to the main office of MVOAI, making sure the Application Fee is included. The Application and Certification Fees are presented in the MVOAI Certification Fees Schedule. If at any time the applicant wishes to withdraw from the application or certification process, the applicant shall be liable for the costs of services provided up to the time of withdrawal of the application. See Certification Fee Schedule.

STEP THREE — MVOAI certification staff review the application for completeness, gathers any additional or missing information from the applicant, and then performs a knowledgeable initial review to determine eligibility for certification and/or any need for further information or compliance to the appropriate standards. The Certification Coordinator then notifies the client of any further requirements or corrections of noncompliances.

If after reviewing the application, the certification staff decides the applicant is not a suitable candidate for organic or Vedic certification, MVOAI notifies the applicant and presents the reasons why the operation does not qualify for certification. The applicant may request an opportunity to make the necessary changes required to become a candidate.

STEP FOUR — If the applicant is found to be a suitable candidate for certification, the MVOAI finance office provides the applicant with a Certification Cost Estimate, which gives the client or prospective clients the approximate costs of their inspection and certification. This Estimate must be acknowledged and accepted before the MVOAI inspection, or in the case of new applications, the inspection costs must be paid before the inspection. When this is complete, an appropriate Inspector is chosen to inspect the farm or processing operation. The Inspector must be free of all conflicts of interests regarding the operation he or she is to inspect. The Inspector is given a copy of the application package to review and any previous inspection and/or noncompliance reports on the operation, and then contacts the applicant directly to set up a time for the inspection.

The Inspector conducts the inspection with the authorized representative of the operation in attendance along with as many of the operation’s managerial staff as possible. To conclude the on-site inspection, the Inspector requests that the client sign and return to him or her two copies of the MVOAI Certified Operation Agreement and then conducts an exit interview with the client to review the main observations and conclusions made during the inspection. The Inspector then completes his inspection report including recommendations, and submits it to the MVOAI Inspections Manager for consideration by the Certification Committee. A copy of the Inspector’s report is provided to the client and the original becomes part of a client’s certification file. The client is charged per diem for Inspector’s time and for travel. If the applicant has already implemented the Maharishi Vedic Procedures, the inspection report will include a complete inspection and audit report of these practices and facilities. For details, please see Inspections and Testing below and the MVOAI Certification Fee Schedule.

STEP FIVE — At this point, on the basis of the application materials and any additional information gained during the inspection visit, the Certification Committee makes their certification decision on the basis of the MVOAI policies and appropriate standards, and requests that the Certification Coordinator notify the client of their certification status: approved, denied or conditional. Final certification approval may be conditional, i.e., additional documentation may be needed and/or certain practices amended or adopted to comply with MVOAI policies and appropriate standards.

STEP SIX — If approved, the client corrects any pre-certification requirements mentioned in STEP FIVE, and pays MVOAI required fees. (Please use the Certification Fee Schedule or the Cost Estimate and Payment Agreement form supplied by the MVOAI finance office to determine your fees.) If there are no additional conditions to be met, MVOAI mails a Certificate of Certification and a copy of the Certified Operation Agreement signed by an authorized MVOAI representative. The new MVOAI certified operator may now advertise and label as described in the MVOAI Standards Manual for either UDSA organic, Maharishi Vedic, and/or international certification. Labeling information is contained in the MVOAI Standards Manual. If denied, the decision may be appealed following the guidelines in this manual.

THAT’S IT for initial certification.

STEP SEVEN - Once you become certified, you will be sent an annual continuance of certification application 3 months before your annual certification is due for renewal. Clients must submit this application for renewal, including a current farm and/or processing plan. MVOAI then assigns and schedules an Inspector who completes the required annual inspection. The client is charged per diem for Inspector time and for travel, and report preparation expenses. If all of the current MVOAI policies and appropriate standards are continuing to be met and the activities of the operation are properly documented, the client pays the necessary annual fees based on last year’s sales (or projected sales for the year if there is a significant change anticipated,) and certification status is reviewed and decided by the Certification Committee.

If you have questions concerning the certification process, costs, or eligibility requirements, please contact the MVOAI Office directly. Please consult the MVOAI Policy Manual text which follows and the Standards Manual for a complete description of the MVOAI certification and continuance of certification process and appropriate standards.

Certification Categories

Crop production

Wild crop harvest

Processing/Handling

Dairy (Vedic Organic only)

Apiary

Grower Groups

Certification granted in the MVOAI certification categories complies with all USDA National Organic Program requirements, ISO 65 requirements, and in the case of Maharishi Vedic additional label requirements, the Vedic standards of Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute. (Note: In regards to Maharishi Vedic dairy operations, Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute Additional Label Requirements state that all livestock be allowed to live out their natural lives. The Institute does not certify operations where livestock are slaughtered or sent for slaughter.)

Certification Requirements Made Simple

For Producers and Farmers:

• Implementation of an Organic System Plan, with proactive fertility systems;
• 3 years with no application of prohibited materials prior to certification (no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or GMOs);
• Conservation measures; environmentally sound manure, weed, disease, and pest management practices; and soil building crop rotation systems;
• Use of natural inputs and/or approved synthetic substances listed as allowed on the US National List;
• No use of prohibited substances while certified;
• No use of genetically engineered organisms, (GMOs) defined in the rule as ”excluded methods”;
• No sewage sludge or irradiation;
• Use of organic seeds, when commercially available;
• Use of organic seedlings for annual crops;
• Certain Restrictions or use recommendations on use of raw manure and compost;
• Maintenance of buffer zones, depending on risk of contamination; and
• No residues of prohibited substances exceeding 5% of the EPA tolerance.

For Processing/Handling Operations

• Implementation of an Organic Handling Plan;
• No commingling or contamination of organic products during processing;
• No use of GMOs or irradiation;
• Proactive sanitation and facility pest management practices;
• Required use of organic minor ingredients in “organic” products, when commercially available; and
• Use of approved label claims for “100% organic”, “organic” (at least 95% organic ingredients), “Made with organic ingredients” (at least 70% organic ingredients) and proper use of the word “organic” in ingredient list (less than 70% organic ingredients).
• Required use of specific records to verify compliance with the regulation.
• Required certification for producers and handlers who sell over $5000/year in organic products. (Producers and handlers who sell under $5,000/year still have to follow the NOS - they just don’t have to be certified.)

For Livestock Operations

• Implementation of an Organic Livestock Plan;
• Mandatory outdoor access for all livestock;
• Access to pasture for ruminants;
• No antibiotics, growth hormones, or GMOs;
• 100% organic feed and approved feed supplements; and
• Organic management from last third of gestation or 2nd day after hatching. Twelve months organic management for dairy.

Administration of the Program

All programs of Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute are administered through the central office. For certification materials and applications please contact the address below or download the applications materials from our website (see below).

Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute
P.O. Box 2006
Fairfield, IA 52556
641.209.6578fax 641.472.3771
E-mail MVOAI@Maharishi.net

Personnel of Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute

The personnel at MVOAI are all highly qualified and dedicated people whose goal is the growth and certification of organic and Vedic Organic agriculture around the world. Everyone working at the Institute is trained in both organic and Vedic Organic principles and practices. Many of our staff work on a volunteer basis, offering their personal time and resources to help in this timely issue of improving the purity and quality of the world’s food supply, while preserving the environment in a sustainable manner. Employees generally have a combination of educational, experiential, and vocational training and qualifications.

States and Countries where MVOAI is or will be Active in Certification

MVOAI will certify clients who request USDA organic, EU, Japanese, and/or Vedic certification from any country in the world. (In the USA, MVOAI will also confirm with appropriate State authorities that we are in compliance with all the State’s organic program requirements for each State where applicants are seeking certification.) In addition, since the focus of the Educational Division of Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute is to teach courses on Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture to poor farmers in developing nations in Asia, the Indian sub-continent, Africa and South America, it is anticipated that there will be many requests for organic and Vedic certification in these countries. These developing nations will form the focus of MVOAI’s international certification services.

Legal Organization

The Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational corporation incorporated in the State of Delaware, U.S.A.

MVOAI Organizational Structure

The President of MVOAI reports to the Board of Directors which is responsible for the overall operation of the Institute. It is the President’s and Board of Directors’ responsibility to ensure that all the goals and activities of the organization are implemented and fulfilled. These activities include the Maharishi Organic and the Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Certification Program, and the Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute Educational and Research Programs.

In regards to the Certification Program, the President and Board of Directors (BOD) must assure that the Program is financially viable and capable of providing a credible guarantee to its Licensees. The President in particular is directly in charge of administering the operations of the organization, including its educational, research and certification activities.

The Certification Committee, although necessarily a part of the organizational structure, is autonomous in its functioning and makes all decisions on certification based on materials it receives from inspections, application materials and reports. This is to provide separation between application processing and certification decisions. The Certification Committee and its Chairman are responsible directly to the President and the Board of Directors.

Documentation resulting from applications, inspection visits and audits are reviewed by the MVOAI Certification Coordinator and Certification Department staff for completeness and then submitted to the Certification Committee for decision. Members of the Certification Committee are qualified and experienced personnel in organic and Vedic organic agriculture and will make all decisions regarding the granting, extension or denial of the certification status of the inspected parties.

Applying for Certification

For MVOAI certification manuals, applications and fee structures please download the appropriate materials from the links below. Alternatively, you can write or e-mail to the address below and we will send the printed materials to you by mail. Please note that there is a $35 charge for mailing printed materials.

Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute
P.O. Box 2006
Fairfield, IA 52556
phone 641.209.6578
fax 641.472.3771
E-mail: MVOAI@Maharishi.net
Website: www.mvaoi.org

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions on the National Organic Program.

1. From a national team of experts:
   http://www.newfarm.org/certification/certification_archives.shtml
   
   
2. From the USDA National Organic Program Office:
   http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Q&A.html

Downloads

All our downloads are in Microsoft Word (.doc), Microsoft Excel (.xls), or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. You may choose the format that suits your needs.

All Applicants please download the following four files:

In Addition

Growers and Producers please download the following two files:

Processors and Handlers please download the following two files:

Additional Certification Guidelines

Certification Renewal

Record Keeping Forms