Organic from nature
Wild plants and mushrooms can be certified as organic without being cultivated. What is controlled here is not a farm but the collection area and the network of pickers and purchasing points. The certificate opens markets with strong interest in Bulgarian herbs, mushrooms and forest fruits.
Main requirements
- The area: it is described and mapped. For at least the last 3 years before collection, it must not have been treated with products not authorised in organic production. This is proven with documents from the owner or user of the land and from the municipality or the forestry unit.
- Sustainability: collection must not affect the stability of the natural habitat or the maintenance of the species. Quantities must be realistic for the area.
- Permits: collection from state and municipal land and forests requires a settled right of use. For medicinal plants, the requirements of the Medicinal Plants Act also apply.
- Pickers: the operator keeps a list of pickers, trains them in the collection rules and is responsible for them.
- Purchasing points: they record the quantities from each picker, by species and date. The produce is stored separately and clearly identified.
- Processing: drying, cleaning and packaging are carried out according to the rules for organic processing and are included in the control.
What is inspected on site
The inspector visits the collection areas and checks them against the maps. They check the evidence of no treatment and the permits for use. They visit the purchasing points and drying facilities, check the list of pickers and the records of purchased quantities, and draw up a balance of quantities against the capacity of the area.
Documents
- application, contract and annual production programme;
- maps of the collection areas and a description of the species and the expected quantities;
- documents showing that the area has not been treated in the last 3 years;
- permits and documents on the right of use;
- a list of pickers and purchasing points, registers of purchased quantities and sales.
How the process works
Enquiry or application
- you describe the species, the areas and the network of pickers.
Offer and contract
- we calculate the price and conclude a contract. You notify the MAF within 10 days.
Documents
- you submit the maps, the evidence for the areas and the list of pickers.
On-site inspection
- in the collection areas and at the purchasing points, during the season.
Decision and certificate
- the certificate is renewed every year.
Price
The fee consists of a basic annual fee and an hourly rate for the control time, which depends on the number of areas, species and purchasing points. The exact amounts are in our price list.
Private standards and markets
- NOP (USDA) - certificates for export to the USA, often used for dried herbs and essential oils from wild plants.
- KRAV - verification for the Swedish market.