ISO And Agriculture - International Organization For .

Great things happen when the world agrees.ISO and agriculture

We are ISO,the International Organizationfor Standardization162*members21 500*International StandardsWe are an independent,non-governmental organization.100We are a global network ofnational standards bodies withone member per country.247new standards each month*technical committeesOur job is to make InternationalStandards.We are coordinated by a CentralSecretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.We are not for profit  : selling ourstandards allows us to financetheir development in a neutralenvironment, to maintain themand to make new ones.ISO provides a platform fordeveloping practical tools throughcommon understanding andcooperation with all stakeholders.ίσοςNotice that our acronymdoesn’t match our name ?It’s not meant to.“ ISO ” is derived fromthe Greek word isos (equal),so that it’s the same inall languages.* April 2017

Why do we need ISO standardsfor agriculture ?Agriculture is the mainstay of life, feeding the world’s populationsand producing what we need to survive and thrive. Sustainableagriculture is achieved through efficient use of farmland.Standards can be valuable tools to bring this to fruition byproviding guidance and best practice for machinery, tools andfarming methods.ISO standards for agriculture cover all aspects of farming, fromirrigation and global positioning systems (GPS) to agriculturalmachinery, animal welfare and sustainable farm management.They help to promote effective farming methods while ensuringthat everything in the supply chain – from farm to fork – meetsadequate levels of safety and quality. By setting internationallyagreed solutions to global challenges, ISO standardsfor agriculture also foster the sustainability and soundenvironmental management that contribute to a better future.4

Who benefits from ISO standardsfor agriculture ?IndustryConsumersRegulators

Who benefits from ISO standardsfor agriculture ?Farmers, manufacturers and food producers are themain beneficiaries of ISO’s agriculture standards.By providing guidelines for internationally agreed bestpractice and specifications for tools, machinery andother products and processes, ISO standards ensureproduction is seamless and facilitate global trade.ISO standards help increase efficiencies,sustainability and traceability in food production.They also provide a common international language,widening opportunities for cross-border trade offoodstuffs and farm animals. Thus, consumers notonly enjoy a good-quality end product that is safe toeat, they have access to greater choice as well.ISO standards help organizations meetlegal and industry requirements bysetting benchmarks for the functionalsafety, traceability and quality ofeverything from the machinery andmaterials used in agriculture tothe final food products. Developedthrough international expertise andconsensus, they provide a sound basisfor implementing public policy.7

What standards doesISO have for agriculture ?Out of a total of more than 21 500 InternationalStandards, ISO has more than 1 000 related toagriculture, with many more in development.These cover the following domains.Tractors and machineryfor agricultureIrrigationFertilizers and soilconditionersFeed machinery and animalfeeding stuffsEnvironmental impactProtective clothingAgricultural electronicsFood products and safety8

Below is a selection of ISO technical committees and ISO standardsdedicated to agriculture, including sectors such as tractors andmachinery, feed machinery and animal feeding stuffs, irrigation,environmental impact, food products and many more.Tractors and machineryfor agriculture ISO 17989, Tractors and machineryfor agriculture – SustainabilityThis standard gives manufacturers oftractors and agricultural machinerythe guidance they need to integratesustainability principles into the wholelife cycle of their products. The standardapplies specifically to equipment usedin the production of food, fibres, fuel andlumber for humans and livestock. ISO/TC 23, Tractors and machineryfor agriculture and forestryThrough its many subcommittees,this ISO technical committee coversa multitude of areas such as safety,testing, equipment for crop protectionand harvesting, operator controls andsymbols, machinery for forestry, irrigationand drainage equipment, and electronics.Other standards directly under theleadership of ISO/TC 23 include : ISO 20966, Automatic milkinginstallations – Requirements and testing ISO 4002, Equipment for sowing andplantingWho developsstandards ?ISO standards are developed bygroups of experts within technical committees (TCs). TCs aremade up of representatives fromindustry, non-governmentalorganizations, governmentsand other stakeholders who areput forward by ISO’s members.Each TC deals with a differentsubject ; when it comes to agriculture, for example, there arecommittees focused on farmingequipment, irrigation, fertilizersand agricultural electronics, toname a few.Visit our Website ISO.org to findout more about the standardsdeveloped in a particular sectorby searching for the work of therelevant technical committee.9

IrrigationISO’s standards for irrigation and drainage equipment aredeveloped by : ISO/TC 23/SC 18, Irrigation and drainage equipmentand systemsEffective and efficient irrigation is essential for thesmooth workings of any agricultural setting and ISO hasmore than 30 International Standards in this area, withsome 15 more in development. These include : ISO 15886, Agricultural irrigation equipment – Sprinklers ISO 8026, Agricultural irrigation equipment – Sprayers ISO 9635, Agricultural irrigation equipment – IrrigationvalvesThis last standard specifies the performance requirementsand test methods for different types of irrigation valves.10

Treated wastewater reusefor irrigationTreated wastewater is asmart, cost-effective optionfor recycling water. It reducesthe environmental impact andprovides a lifeline for manyagricultural communities wherewater is scarce or limited.Developed by ISO technicalcommittee ISO/TC 282/SC 1,Treated wastewater reuse forirrigation, the ISO 16075 series ofstandards provides guidelines forthe development and executionof treated wastewater projects,including specifications of design,materials, construction andperformance. It also covers a widerange of issues such as waterquality and associated risks.Fertilizers and soil conditioners ISO/TC 134, Fertilizers and soil conditionersISO has a range of standards for measuringthe content of fertilizers and assistingwith the sampling process. These includestandards for measuring levels of chemicalsin fertilizers such as nitrogen, ammoniumnitrate, phosphorus and potassium, as wellas standards defining the basic terminology,sampling methods and test procedures fordetermining the bulk density of differenttypes of fertilizer.11

Feed machinery and animalfeeding stuffsFood safety is the aim behind many ofISO’s standards for agriculture. ISO 22000, Food safety managementsystems –Requirements for anyorganization in the food chainThis management systems standardmaps out what an organization needs todo to demonstrate its ability to controlfood safety hazards.The ISO 22002 series of standardsprovides requirements for implementingand maintaining food safety prerequisiteprogrammes (PRP), which addressthe basic conditions and activities forensuring hygiene and safety throughoutthe food chain. Examples include : ISO/TS 22002-3, Prerequisiteprogrammes on food safety– Part 3 : FarmingThis ISO technical specification helpsall farms involved in farming steps ofthe food chain, regardless of size, toimplement PRPs in accordance withISO’s food safety management standard(ISO 22000). ISO/TS 22002-6, Prerequisiteprogrammes on food safety– Part 6 : Feed and animal foodproductionThis ISO technical specification isintended to assist farms in managingfeed safety hazards associated with theproduction of feed and animal food.12

Traceability is an important factor incontrolling risk. ISO 22005, Traceability in the feed andfood chain – General principles and basicrequirements for system design andimplementationISO 22005 helps farmers establish a feedand food traceability system that enablesthem to trace the flow of materials (feed,food, ingredients and packaging), identify thenecessary documentation and tracking at eachstage of production, while ensuring adequatecoordination and communication between thedifferent players in the supply chain.In addition, ISO has a wide range of standardsto determine the content of animal feed,including : ISO 6492, Animal feeding stuffs –Determination of fat content ISO 6493, Animal feeding stuffs –Determination of starch content – PolarimetricmethodThe health and security of humans and animalslie at the core of feed machinery standards,underpinned by a robust terminology base. ISO/TC 293, Feed machineryThis technical committee has eight standardsunder development aimed at harmonizing theextensive terminology linked to feed processingtechnology and equipment such as drying,cooling, pelleting and grading machines.They will help remove the barriers tointernational trade and technologicalcommunication, improve safety throughdesign measures and develop solutions toaddress hygiene issues.Animal welfareProtecting the welfare of farmanimals is key to effectiveand safe food farming. Asconsumer awareness of animalwelfare issues continues torise, the demand for productscomplying with animal welfarestandards is growing, givingproducers who maintain thesehigh standards a competitiveadvantage.ISO/TS 34700, Animalwelfare management –General requirements andguidance for organizationsin the food supply chain, isdesigned to help the foodand feed industry developan animal welfare plan thatis in line with the principlesof the World Organizationfor Animal Health (OIE)Terrestrial Animal HealthCode (TAHC) to ensure thewelfare of farm animals inlivestock production systems.13

Environmental impactSustainable agriculture is a keyobjective for ISO and we havestandards to help make agricultureas green as the fields being tilled.Soil erosion, loss of fertility, decliningbiodiversity and reduced watersupplies are all classic signs ofland degradation and a significantproportion of the world’s land isestimated to be negatively impacted.Land degradation affects everyonebecause it threatens our foodsafety and water supplies andhas a significant impact oneconomies, most notably those inunderdeveloped countries. ISO 14055, Environmentalmanagement – Guidelines forestablishing good practices forcombatting land degradation anddesertificationThis new standard in developmentgives guidance on establishing goodpractices to combat land degradationand assist in the rehabilitation of landthat has been depleted.14Protective clothingPesticides are a reality of modernfarming and protecting the farmeragainst toxicity is essential. ISO 27065, Protective clothing– Performance requirements forprotective clothing worn by operatorsapplying liquid pesticidesThis standard helps safeguardagricultural workers against therisks of using pesticides. It specifiesperformance requirements enablingpesticide manufacturers to indicatethe required protection levels ontheir product labels, while garmentmanufacturers can produce, certifyand sell protective clothing withdefined protection levels.

Agricultural electronicsElectronics have revolutionized agriculture in recentyears by enabling different technologies and types ofmachinery to work effectively together and allowing forthe accurate identification and tracking of livestock.Tracking livestock is one example of where ISO standardsplay an important role. ISO 24631, Radiofrequency identification of animalsThe ISO 24631 series helps evaluate the conformanceand performance of identification tags with ISO 11784,which contains the structure of the radiofrequencyidentification code for animals.15