Published: 7/22/2020
Published: 5/27/2020
Many changes will emerge with the founding of the Biodynamic Demeter Association and there are many details that remain to be established. There is much work to do before the unification of the Biodynamic Association and Demeter USA is complete. The question may come up: what do these changes mean for Demeter certified operations? The task of Demeter Biodynamic certification now conducted by Demeter USA will be held within the Biodynamic Demeter Association. The legal structure remains to be worked out, but significant time end effort has and will be put into ensuring that the integrity of certification is maintained. The staffing and certification process will remain intact much as it is today
Demeter USA had already been looking into ways to streamline and improve the process of Biodynamic certification and this task will continue during and after the unification. The most noticeable changes coming up may be from our effort to improve the efficiency of the certification process and the process changes we are making due to the pandemic. Our goal is always to improve the service received by the Demeter certified community while upholding the integrity of Biodynamic.
We look forward to a more unified approach to the educational, marketing and certification activities. There will be many benefits with bringing together the talents and expertise of each organization.
Demeter is the owner of the trademark terms “Biodynamic®” and “Demeter®”. These trademarks are held as certification marks, which provide an assurance to consumers that the product has been certified to a uniform standard. Demeter holds these marks, and is therefore solely responsible for ensuring their adherence, to protect the integrity of Biodynamic agriculture and the products that result, both for consumers and for farmers. One only needs to think about the history of organic here in the United States, and the marketplace pressures that led to the erosion of its definition, to understand the importance of protecting such a comprehensive and historically significant agronomic system.
Demeter USA is the only certifier for Biodynamic farms and products in America. While all of the organic requirements for certification under the National Organic Program are required for Biodynamic certification, the Demeter standard is much more extensive, with stricter requirements around imported fertility, greater emphasis on on-farm solutions for disease, pest, and weed control, and in depth specifications around water conservation and biodiversity.

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