Archive 2013

Collaboration with Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) on a Auditing System for responsible Artisanal and Small-scale Mining

The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) and IMOswiss AG (IMO) are happy to announce their recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in which they agree to collaborate on the development of a tailor-made Third Party Certification and Auditing System for responsible Artisanal and Small-scale Mining. The purpose of the collaboration is to implement sustainable, credible and transparent certification services to Artisanal- and Small-scal

e Mining Organisations and traders against ARM’s FAIRMINED Standard.
Reade more in our official press release in English or Spanish.
(09.11.2013/ih)

IMO and ECOCERT strengthen their cooperation

The Bio-Foundation Switzerland, the founder and owner of the IMO group, took the strategic decision to create a strong partnership with a key player of the organic sector. After an intensive period of negotiation with different certification bodies, the decision was made to cooperate with ECOCERT, which shares many of the core values of IMO and provides great chances of
successful collaboration.
ECOCERT SA (France), internationally renowned in organic products certification, finalized the acquisition of IMOswiss AG (Switzerland) and IMO Institut für Marktökologie GmbH (Germany) in the past two weeks.
The other IMO companies affiliated in the IMOgroup AG are not affected by these transactions.
Going forward, all certificates and attestations issued respectively by IMO and ECOCERT as well as all agreements of all kind concluded by IMO GmbH or IMOswiss AG remain valid and are not impacted by both acquisitions; contacts remain unchanged.
Reade more in our official press release in English,  French, German, or Spanish.
(04.10.2013/ih)

EU Operator Certificates Online

We are happy to introduce a new service. The page Operator Certificates  in the section Our clients provides access to the current certificates of

• operators certified equivalent to the EU organic regulation
• operators in Switzerland certified according to the Bio Suisse guidelines.

In order to find a client, please select the country of the operator. Technically all new certificates uploaded to the remote server are published immediately after the finalization of evaluation process. Certificates will be published as PDF files.
(30.07.2013/ky, ih)

IMOswiss AG founded

The IMO Institute in Weinfelden, Switzerland has been legally spun off the Bio-Foundation and embedded into a new independent legal entity as a stock corporation (AG) subject to Swiss law. Name and legal form have been changed with retroactive effect from 1st January 2013.
By this step IMO is structurally prepared to position the company even more strongly for the future. The new legal form provides clarity for our business partners and facilitates to participate fully in the international market. Even though the letter heads changed, the daily work and the services offered by the experienced control body for sustainable products remain unchanged. Frank Rumpe continues his role as CEO. The IMOswiss AG is a full member of the IMOgroup AG.
(27.06.2013/ih)

Fair for Life: First public consultation round for the minor revision of the Fair for Life Programme

All interested parties are invited to send their comments on the first draft version of the Fair for Life Programme modules up for minor revision. We are looking forward to receiving your comments by midnight the 27th May 2013, Central European Time. Please send your comments to revision@fairforlife.org.
(02.05.2013/loh)

New: Advisory services in cooperation with Fairventures Worldwide

We are happy to inform you that we engage now in a partnership with Fairventures Worldwide, an international not-for-profit development and consultancy organization based in Stuttgart, Germany. Fairventures Worldwide has been known to many under its former name ‘Swisscontact Germany’. Since January 2013, the organization has become independent from Swisscontact and offers now a variety of tailor-made advisory services in cooperation with IMO experts. If you are interested in any of the services offered or looking for further information on these topics, please contact our team at innovation@imo.ch.
(19.03.2013/loh)

Response ILFR Report: Fair For Life requires fair working conditions along the entire chain of custoy

On Monday, 11th February 2013 the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) released a report on alleged labour right violations by a US chocolate company and IMO, the Fair For Life certification body of the company. While IMO appreciates the ILRF´s concern for workers rights, it does not accept the report findings and conclusions. Fair for Life is the only certification programme worldwide that requires fair working conditions along the entire chain of custody and IMO strongly believes that the present campaign damages workers interests in the US as it discourages companies from public commitment to fair working conditions. With respect to the main complaints raised about the Fair for Life Programme, IMO has published a response. Please read IMO´s response in a short version or detailed version.
(20./28.02.2013/ih)

Textile Exchange – Organic Content Standard Released

The Organic Content Standard (OCS) is a new chain of custody standard to track certified organically grown raw materials through the supply chain through the use of scope certificate and transaction certificates, all verified by an independent third-party. The OCS will replace the OE 100 and OE Blended standards, within an allowed transition time. Our textile department will
be happy to answer all question regarding the OCS certification (please contact textile@imo.ch).
(25.02.2013/loh)

Step by step: annual report 2012 published

In 2012 again innovative milestones were achieved: Organic is developing and constantly capturing new segments – worldwide. With its activities the IMO reflects the diversity of the sector. Certification services are offered according to more than 70 different ecological and social standards.

• IMO is proud to be the first certification body to have achieved accreditation for all final ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) standards for sustainable aquaculture available on the market in 2012.
• First clients were certified according to the guidelines on natural detergents, purifying agents and care products developed in cooperation with IMO.
• Pioneering work continues by developing a certification of natural leather, covering all stages of production.
• Exciting new products were Fair for Life certified by IMO demonstrating its role as one of the most recognized and high bar fair trade certifiers.
• IMO decided to develop consultancy as a new service sector in cooperation with an external partner and assign staff with the responsibility to build up the department Development and Innovations. 
• E-Train, the IMO online training platform, was further extended and now offers its expertise to companies and organic control bodies.
• The IMO website has been redesigned to make it easier for you to find your way around. The new design visualizes that IMO places people at the center of its activities.
  

You are invited to find out more about the latest developments in our annual report 2012.
(03.02.2013/loh)

Invitation: Znüni Reception at BioFach 2013 in Nuremberg (Germany)

We kindly invite all our clients, partners and guests to networking „Znüni Reception", Friday 15.02.2013, 9-10 a.m. at the IMO booth 1-101, Hall 1. Join this outstanding event during Biofach 2013 to discuss our latest innovations. On this occasion we would like to introduce you to our new partner Fairventures Worldwide gGmbH: We join forces to provide competent consultancy and related services to companies, NGOs and governmental agencies on sustainable, value driven solutions. Take this opportunity for networking and the dynamic exchange of experiences.
Please find the invitation here.
For more information on this year’s highlights please download  the IMO BioFach Congress Program or have a look at the congress website. You are welcome to make an appointment at news@imo.ch.
(01.02.2013/loh)