Organic Crop Improvement Association
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The Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) is a member-owned, nonprofit organization, which provides research, education and certification services to organic growers, processors and handlers around the world. OCIA certifies farm, livestock, processor/handlers, broker-traders, Community Grower Groups (CGGs), and Private Labels. OCIA currently offers certification to OCIA/International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Japan Agricultural Standards (JAS), National Organic Program (NOP), Conseil des Appellations Agroalimentaires du Quebec (CAAQ), as well as European Union verification, JAS equivalency, Swiss Ordinance of Organic Farming verification, and a partnership with Bio Suisse.
With its headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska, OCIA has regional and chapter offices in Canada, China, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Japan, Guatemala, and Peru. OCIA was founded in 1985 (incorporated in 1988) in Albany, New York by a group of farmers, modeled on the "crop improvement associations" that came out of the Dust Bowl era. These associations started as informal meetings where farmers could discuss and ask advice about their land. In the 1970's as the organic movement developed, "organic" crop improvement associations were formed. An international organization, OCIA continues to have a local approach with the organization largely being made up of local "chapters." The organization has members primarily in Canada and the United States until a group of Peruvian farmers joined the organization in 1988. Expansion throughout Latin America continued, and now OCIA has members across the world.
