Competence of Control agencies (2013-2015)

On this page you will find current information from the KonKom project. A rough description of the project approach can be found below.

TRAINING NEW ECO-CONTROL STAFF - further training after successful pilot training in 2017.

In seven to nine training days, you will receive comprehensive basic training on all important topics of organic control

A flyer for the KonKom training, where all important information is summarized, can be found here. Registration until 20.02.2018 (for more information see below).

Curriculum - Topic Modules

Within the framework of the KonKom project (see project description), a curriculum for a basic training of new inspection staff of the organic inspection bodies but also inspection authorities was first developed together with technical experts from the organic inspection process and broadly coordinated with industry representatives.

Based on this curriculum, a pilot training was successfully carried out in May / June 2017. As part of a project extension, two further training courses will now be offered in 2018 and the training concept will be further optimized.

The training includes four topic modules:

Mandatory participation:

• Basics: history of organic agriculture, legal framework, control procedures and instruments, organic labeling.
• Supra-disciplinary competences (soft skills): Role of organic controller, training on communication techniques.

At least one of these control area specific modules must be chosen, but both can be attended:

• Agriculture: organic control in crop production and animal husbandry viewed over the course of the year, specific control techniques, bookkeeping, etc.
• between the modules, in-depth exercises onagricultural control (for A-controllers) and an introduction to organic agriculture (for B-controllers) will be offered on Wed 18.04.2018.
• Processing, trade,import: organic control from farm processing to industrial production and out-of-home catering, QS schemes and organic import.

Who can participate?

Persons from inspection bodies and authorities who are looking for a well-founded introduction to organic inspection. This is a training within the framework of the KonKom project. The number of participants is limited to 25 persons. More information about the registration procedure can be found below. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

When?

Block I

(Basics, Soft Skills): Mon 5 March 2018 (18:00) - Fri 09 March 2018 (vsl. approx. 17:00).

Block II

Agriculture: Sun 15. April 2018 (18:00) - Wed 18. April 2018 (approx. 12:30)

Processing, trade, import: Tue 17 April 2018 (18:00) - Fri 20 April 2018 (vsl. approx. 17:00).

Where.

University of Kassel, Department of Organic Agricultural Sciences.

Steinstr. 19, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany

Overnight stay Block I:

Hotel Stadt Witzenhausen(website)

Am Sande 8, 37213 Witzenhausen

Overnight stay Block II:

DEULA Witzenhausen(website)

Am Sande 20, 37213 Witzenhausen

Trainer Team

We are pleased to have been able to recruit a large team of experts to conduct the training:

Block I Mon 5 March 2018 (18:00) - Fri 09 March 2018 (approx. 17:00)

Module Basics

• Thomas Damm (ABCERT, Board of Directors)
• Adalbert Fricke (LANUV, Inspection Service)
• Maik Holfert (ABCERT, Inspector)
• Dr. Jochen Neuendorff (GfRS, inspection body manager)

Interdisciplinary competences

• Thomas Fisel (freelance trainer)

Block II

Module Agriculture Sun 15 April 2018 (18:00) - Wed 18 April 2018 (approx. 12:30)

• Dr. Georg Eckert (ABCERT, inspection body manager)
• Aaron Fürmetz (ABCERT, Controller)
• Philipp Hütsch (LLH, technical college teacher)
• Jan Löning (Demeter, consultant, inspector)

Module Processing, Trade, Import Tue 17 April 2018 (18:00) - Fri 20 April 2018 (approx. 17:00)

• Ulfila Bartels (GfRS, controller)
• Susanne Lehmann (Lacon, controller)
• Martin Rombach (Prüfverein, inspection body manager)
• Alissa Schick (Testing association, technical expert)

Costs

approx. 580-740€ plus VAT for accommodation and meals on 7.5 or 9 training days depending on the modules chosen. Seminar costs are covered by the KonKom project.

Registration procedure

Please register by 20.02.2018 at the latest using the following registration form of the FiBL registration service.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Organic agriculture as well as the organic food industry as a whole have evolved in many ways in recent years. This has been accompanied by a change in expectations of the "organic inspection" system as a guarantor of the credibility and safety of organic products. In practice, it can be seen that these requirements and expectations are assessed differently by the various actors in the organic control system. A systematic survey of expectations of the organic inspection process as well as an industry-wide recognized strategy for maintaining competence and improving organic inspection personnel does not yet exist.

This is the starting point of the project financed by the Federal Program for Organic Farming and Other Forms of Sustainable Agriculture. The aim of the project is to initiate an industry-wide agreement process on qualification and competence requirements for organic inspection staff as well as on strategies for maintaining and improving competence. With the participation of the stakeholders of the organic inspection system, concrete and, if possible, broadly coordinated and tested concepts for improving the competence of organic inspection personnel are to be developed.

As a basis for subsequent concept development and coordination processes, the expectations of important industry experts for a sustainable eco-control system will be collected in the first project phase and systematically presented in the sense of visions for the future. In addition, the currently valid qualification requirements of the legislator and the inspection bodies for organic inspectors will be summarized. Furthermore, it will be examined on a sample basis how currently employed organic inspectors have been trained and how the inspections carried out by them have been evaluated by the inspection authorities, among others. The results of the empirical investigations of this project phase will be discussed in workshops with important industry representatives and strategies for the further development of the organic control system as well as the improvement of the competence of the organic control personnel will be developed together. It is planned to hold several one-day workshops on the one hand with representatives of the organic inspection bodies currently operating in Germany and on the other hand with the members of the project advisory board. The advisory board is composed of representatives of ministries (BMELV, state ministries), authorities (BLE, LÖK), organic associations (BÖLW), inspection bodies (KdK and EU project IRM-Organic) and inspectors. It is intended to integrate the views of different actors in the organic control system into the project and has an advisory function.

Based on the empirical analyses and the previous coordination processes, concrete concepts and measures for improving the competence of organic control personnel will be developed in the second project phase. A selection of these concepts, made in consultation with the inspection bodies and the project advisory board, will then be tested and evaluated in practice.

Based on the curriculum developed participatively in the project, a pilot training for new organic inspection staff was conducted and evaluated in 2017. The 22 participants from ten inspection bodies and two authorities were very satisfied with the training, but also pointed out potential for optimization, which should now be exploited.

The project is being carried out by the University of Kassel (Department of Organic Agriculture), the Conference of Inspection Bodies and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture as equal project partners. The project is headed by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Heß from the University of Kassel - Witzenhausen.