IOIA's influence in the organic community extends worldwide, with trainings held at a variety of expertise levels. IOIA continues to bring quality inspection training to locations all around the world as part of our mission statement of providing quality inspector training and promoting consistency and integrity in the organic certification process.
Field trip Host Homero Blas, Executive Director of Mayacert, Mexico and president of IFOAM Organic International Latinamerica, discussing shade-grown organic coffee cultivation in the Oaxaca de Juarez region of southern Mexico as part of advanced inspector training.
Advanced training, Republic of South Korea. This event brought together inspectors from Canada, Japan, Thailand, India, Ghana, and the US.
IOIA has worked with the Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre (HKORC) to co-sponsor numerous trainings since the organization was established in December 2002 to provide an independent organic certification service for farmers and food processors in Hong Kong. All courses were customized to reference the private HKORC standards.
IOIA completed an innovative training event for Australian Certified Organic (ACO), a certifying body delivering multiple national and international certification programs, including the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). Session concepts included USDA NOP updates, risk assessment, sound and sensible practices and alignment of USDA NOP to Australian standards and local norms.
IOIA Trainer Lisa Pierce, Canada, with fishery manager David, and IOIA Trainer Luis Brenes, Hong Kong aquaculture course.
Our first inspector training in Nepal! Past Board member Maheswar Ghimire is at center, with IOIA Trainer Lisa Pierce, second from right in bottom row.
IOIA's Executive Director Margaret Scoles visits with one-time scholarship recipient and current OneCert International, India, Director Sandeep Bhargava at IFOAM's Organic World Congress, India, 2017.
A group learns the finer aspects of bee-keeping on a field trip in Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico.