• This guide was issued based on the Agriculture Law, issued by Royal Decree No. (M/64) dated 10/08/1442 AH, and its Implementing Regulation issued by Ministerial Decision No. (14967/1/1444) dated 15/01/1444 AH. According to Article 267 of the Implementing Regulation of the Agriculture Law. The guide is considered the regulatory and technical reference for organic farming activities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It includes organic farming activities under the Agriculture Law, covering the production of organic inputs and products, their manufacturing, marketing, importing, or exporting, in addition to the national logos related to organic farming inputs and products. The guide also includes the licensing conditions and requirements for notarization companies, the monitoring mechanism, the minimum inspection requirements, and precautionary procedures.

• Organic Agriculture: A method of agricultural production in both plant and animal sectors that relies on the use of natural materials to produce food without using chemical substances, fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, genetically modified organisms, or materials derived from them.

• Standards of Organic Agriculture Activity: The conditions adopted by the Ministry related to the activity of organic agriculture.

• Organic Agriculture Activity: The processes of producing organic inputs or products, manufacturing, marketing, importing, or exporting them.

• Organic Inputs: Materials used in organic agriculture.

• Organic Products: Fresh and processed organic plant and animal products.

• Organic Production Unit: The facility designated for producing organic inputs or products, manufacturing, storing, canning, packaging, or processing them.

• Producer: Any natural or legal person who produces, manufactures, processes, or trades organic products and inputs.

• Certification Body: A company specialized in the field of organic certification that supervises production units by applying the standards of organic agriculture activity.

• Organic Certification Certificate: A certificate granted by the certification body licensed by the Ministry.

• Processing: The preservation or transformation operations of organic products as well as modification, regulation, and placing logos and trademarks on them.

• Trading: Offering for sale, storage, or transportation by any means of transport.

• Hydroponics: Cultivation of plants without soil in an aquatic medium.

• Intensive Farming: Farms where no space is allocated for animal exercise.

• Conversion: The transitional phase from non-organic to organic farming within a specific period during which the standards related to organic production are applied.

• Genetically Modified Organisms: Organisms whose genetic components have been modified in an unnatural way.

• Feed: A collective term for any material of plant origin used as food for livestock and poultry.

• Ration: The daily portion of feed provided to the animal.

• Yeast: Unicellular organisms used in the fermentation process.

1- The provisions of this guide apply to the producer, organic production units, and certification bodies operating in the Kingdom.

• 2- The standards and requirements contained in this guide apply to all organic farming activities and related scopes:

  • A- Cultivation and production of raw agricultural crops used as food, in addition to animal products and their secondary derivatives used as food.

  • B- Production and manufacturing of organic food products of agricultural origin (plant/animal).

  • C- Agricultural crops and their secondary products used as feed or feed additives for animal nutrition.

  • D- Inputs for organic farming/production such as seeds, vegetative propagation materials, protection and control materials, fertilizers, and soil conditioners, in addition to nutritional additives and disinfection and sterilization materials.

• The competent authority undertakes the following:

  • 1- Issuing regulations and standards for organic production and publishing lists of materials authorized for use in the production of organic inputs and products in accordance with this evidence.

  • 2- Adding, withdrawing, or amending any of the authorized materials in a manner consistent with international standards and achieving the public interest.

  • 3- Specifying the specifications of fertilizers, soil conditioners, propagation materials, plant and animal protection materials, disease control materials, nutrition and water materials, and materials used in the processes of preservation, storage, cleaning, and sterilization as detailed in the appendices attached to this evidence.

  • 4- Determining the requirements for labels and data cards related to organic inputs and products and their logos.

  • 5- Adopting temporary procedures to address exceptional and harsh climatic conditions in the Kingdom by allowing the use of unauthorized materials to ensure the sustainability of organic production.

• 1- Requirements for conversion and obtaining organic certification:

  • A- The owner of the production unit or his representative, when wishing to convert to organic production, shall submit a conversion request to the certification body.

  • B- The owner of the production unit is obligated to submit the documents, fulfill the data contained in the request, and provide his written consent to follow all organic production standards.

  • C- The certification body shall study the request and verify the fulfillment of all required data.

  • D- In case of rejection of the conversion request due to non-compliance, the decision must include the reasons for rejection.

  • E- The applicant is considered to have waived his request if he does not follow the instructions of the certification body, and a new request may not be resubmitted except after removing the reasons for rejection.

  • F- Approval may be preliminary and conditional upon making modifications or changes to the production unit.

  • G- Upon acceptance of the conversion request, the production unit obtains organic certification for one year, renewable for a similar period during which it is subject to the supervision of the certification body.

  • H- The conversion period shall commence from the date of submitting the request and signing the commitment document.

  • I- The owner of the production unit is obligated during the conversion period to apply all provisions contained in the law and its executive regulations.

  • J- Inspection and examination shall be conducted by the certification body during appropriate time periods to ensure compliance with all conversion requirements.

  • K- The certification body has the authority to take samples and conduct tests at the expense of the conversion applicant at any entity and at all stages up to the stage of offering the organic product for circulation.

  • L- The farmer/producer is obligated to disclose and notify the certification body immediately of any changes occurring in the production unit, including but not limited to:

  • - Expansion of agricultural areas, such as planting new crops/varieties.

    • - Changes in the agricultural plan previously certified by the certification body.

    • - Use of any agricultural inputs for the first time.

    • - Emergency methods, means, and materials for plant and insect pest control and prevention.

    • - Relocation of beehives to other sites.

    • - Any procedures or measures applied within the facilities of the production unit subject to inspection and certification.

• 2- The certification body may increase or decrease the conversion period based on the data provided by the organic production unit, including but not limited to:

  • A- Technical reports and official observations issued by the Ministry’s branches and offices or other competent authorities, proving the condition of the agricultural land and previous agricultural operations.

  • B- Laboratory analysis results of soil, plant, or fruit samples.

  • C- Results of the first field visit by the certification body inspector.

  • D- Satellite imaging technologies may be utilized for the production unit site.

• 3- The time period required for the conversion process according to the type of organic product is as follows:

  • A- In the case of annual crops, at least two years before sowing.

  • B- In the case of pastures, at least two years before their use as feed from organic cultivation.

  • C- In the case of perennial crops, three years before the first harvest of the products.

• 4- The conversion period for animal production includes:

  • A- Providing organic feed as much as possible from the beginning of the conversion.

  • B- This period depends on the type of animal.

• 5- The conversion period in beekeeping:

  • A- Honey production and other bee products are subject to a conversion period lasting a full year during which organic beekeeping production techniques are applied.

  • B- During the conversion period, non-organic wax is replaced with organic wax, and in case of unavailability in the markets or for apiaries previously granted organic certification, non-organic wax may be used during the conversion period provided it is not treated with chemicals.

• 6- It is prohibited for the organic production unit to be subject to inspection and certification by more than one certification body, except under specific cases and regulations, including but not limited to:

  • A- Certification of the production unit according to different systems and standards.

  • B- Differences in the production unit affiliated with the main entity, or the activities and scopes intended to be certified organically.

• 7- The "Group Certification Process" may be applied to adjacent organic production units to obtain a single certification, provided that the following controls are met:

  • A- Locations of the production units targeted by the group certification process and the distance between them.

  • B- Appointment of a responsible person representing all production units subject to the group certification process, who is concerned with dealing with the certification body and competent authorities.

  • C- Adoption of a unified farm management system that ensures the application of all agricultural and production operations according to the standards and requirements compatible with organic farming stipulated in this guide.

  • D- Adoption of a unified documentation system for all production units (farms) through which all agricultural operations are recorded and documented.

• 1- The organic production unit shall be granted the organic certification certificate upon completion of the conversion period.

• 2- The certification body shall issue a certification certificate for any product subject to its regulations in the field of related activities mentioned in this guide, provided that this certificate includes a definition of the production unit, agricultural areas, the type of certified products, their quantities, as well as the validity period of the certificate.

• 3- In the case of imported products, the products shall be accompanied by a certification certificate issued by the competent authority or certification bodies in the country of origin.

• 1- Any entity wishing to practice inspection and certification activities for organic agriculture and food production in the Kingdom must be registered with and accredited by the Ministry.

• 2- The competent authority grants licenses to certification bodies according to the following:

  • A- Certification bodies must provide sufficient guarantees of objectivity and integrity, and have qualified staff and the necessary resources to perform their tasks.

  • B- The certification body must have a permanent headquarters or a resident representative in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as deemed appropriate by the competent authority.

  • C- There must be evidence that the certification body has the required supervisory experience, equipment, infrastructure, and a sufficient number of qualified and suitably experienced staff, and that it is impartial and free from any conflict of interest regarding the delegated tasks as stated in Annex No. (8) of this guide.

  • D- The certification body must be accredited according to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and its guide No. 17065 (General requirements for bodies operating product certification systems) or equivalent systems.

  • E- The certification body must regularly report the results of its monitoring operations to the competent authority and whenever requested by the competent authority. If the monitoring results indicate non-compliance or potential non-compliance, the certification body must immediately notify the competent authority.

  • F- There must be effective coordination between the competent authority and the certification body.

• G- The certification body must provide a detailed description of the control procedures and measures it applies to producers and the procedures it intends to implement in case of violations.

  • H- The certification body must ensure that precautionary and control procedures have been applied to the producers under its supervision.

  • I- If the certification body fails to perform the tasks delegated to it, the competent authority must revoke the license granted to the company to practice inspection and certification activities.

  • J- The certification body must allow representatives of the competent authority access to its offices and facilities and provide any information or assistance deemed necessary by the competent authority to fulfill its obligations:

    • - Its regulations must be objective and independent.

    • - Verification of the effectiveness and efficiency of inspection and certification activities.

    • - Identification of any violations or transgressions, if any, and the application of corrective measures.

  • K- The certification body must allow representatives of the competent authority access to its offices and facilities and provide any information or assistance deemed necessary by the competent authority to fulfill its obligations:

• 1- Its regulations must be objective and independent.

• 2- Verification of the effectiveness and efficiency of inspection and certification activities.

• 3- Identification of any violations or transgressions, if any, and the application of corrective measures.