The aim of ecological agriculture activities is to maintain the efficiency of air, water and soil resources which will ensure the continuity of the natural environment and to obtain more efficiency from a certain area. What is essential here is sustainability. Sustainability of agricultural production is not only a guarantee of long-term protection and efficiency of natural resources. It also means the establishment of a social, economic and ecologically balanced production system.
In recent years, people have been more aware of health and natural environment issues and the demand for ecological products has been increasing in European Union countries, America and other developed countries. Today, 2 percent of total food production in the US is ecological, but 40 percent of consumers have received ecological food in the last year. 33 percent of consumers in the UK buy ecological products.
According to a study conducted in America, 66 percent of people buy ecological products because they are healthy, because 38 percent likes the taste, because 30 percent is more reliable, 26 percent does not harm the natural environment.
While consumers prefer ecological products, they want to know how they differ from traditional products and what they will gain by buying them. This is a matter of purely public awareness. However, another fact is that the price of ecological agricultural products is much higher than traditional products. Because the production process is not easy. No additives and chemicals are used and the products take time to mature.
TÜRCERT Technical Control and Certification Inc. While creating the ECOmark standard, it has paid particular attention to the awareness of the society and to turn to ecological products. For this purpose, ECOmark has focused on certification and ECOmark logo usage.
In order for the enterprises producing ecological foodstuffs to obtain the ECOmark certificate, this standard must be applied first. Only then can TURCERT be requested to initiate certification studies.
At this point, TURCERT will first make a contract with the enterprise and then start the audit works. If it is decided to obtain a certificate after the audits to be carried out, ECOmark certificate is issued and delivered to the enterprise.
In this way, the company proves that it produces without damaging the natural environment, that the products are produced in accordance with natural conditions, that product wastes disappear spontaneously in the natural environment after consumption and that the product packaging material does not have a negative impact on nature.