BDS Directory

Guide to major quality standards and certifications

Lao domestic standards and certifications

Laos Organic: https://www.gmswga.org/standard/laos-organic
EU FLEGT in Laos: https://www.flegtlaos.com

International standards and certifications

ACT (Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand): http://actorganic-cert.or.th
Alliance for Water Stewardship: https://a4ws.org/the-aws-standard-2-0/
Aquaculture Stewardship Council: https://www.asc-aqua.org
ASEAN Standard for Organic Agriculture (ASOA): https://www.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/images/Community/AEC/AMAF/OtherDocuments/ASEAN%20STANDARD%20FOR%20ORGANIC%20AGRICULTURE%20(ASOA).pdf
Asia Regional Organic Standard (AROS): http://www.fao.org/3/an765e/an765e00.pdf
B-Corporation (social and environmental performance): https://bcorporation.net/certification
Better Buying: https://betterbuying.org
BGCI (Botanic Gardens Conservation International): https://www.bgci.org
Biosphere Responsible Tourism: https://www.biospheretourism.com/en/biosphere-certification/83
BRCGS (food safety): https://www.brcgs.com
Business Social Compliance Initiative (code of conduct): https://www.amfori.org/content/amfori-bsci-platform
Canadian Organic Standards: https://www.cog.ca/home/resources/standard-guide/?platform=hootsuite and https://ioas.org/services/organic-agriculture/canada-organic-regime/
Carbon Neutral: https://carbonneutral.com
Certified Naturally Grown: http://www.naturallygrown.org
China organic rules: https://www.organicexport.info/china.html
EnPlus (wood pellets): https://www.enplus-pellets.eu/en-in/certifications-en-in/producer-en-in.html
Ethical Tea Partnership: http://www.ethicalteapartnership.org
Ethical Trade and Responsible Sourcing (BRCGS): https://www.brcgs.com/brcgs/ethical-trade-and-responsible-sourcing/core-standard/
Ethical Trading Initiative: https://www.ethicaltrade.org
EU FLEGT: http://www.euflegt.efi.int/home
EU organic legislation and regulations: https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/farming/organic-farming/legislation_en and https://www.ifoam.bio/en/organic-regulations/list-eu-organic-regulations and https://ioas.org/services/organic-agriculture/european-recognition-programme/
EU organic regulation change (from January 2021): https://www.ifoam-eu.org/en/organic-regulations/new-eu-organic-regulation-what-will-change
EU regulation 2018/848 on organic production and labelling of organic products (valid from 1 January 2021): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2018.150.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ:L:2018:150:TOC
EU-wide list of accreditation bodies in member countries: https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/system/files/ged/list_of_eidas_accredited_cabs-2019-0823.pdf
EU Timber Regulation: http://www.euflegt.efi.int/eutr
Fair for Life: http://www.fairforlife.org
Fair Wild: https://www.fairwild.org
Fairtrade (non-USA): http://www.fairtrade.net
Fairtrade for contract production: https://www.fairtrade.net/standard/cp
Fairtrade for small-scale producers: https://www.fairtrade.net/standard/spo
Fairtrade for hired labour: https://www.fairtrade.net/standard/hl
Fairtrade for textiles: https://www.fairtrade.net/standard/textile
Fairtrade USA: http://www.fairtradecertified.org
Fair Wear: https://www.fairwear.org
Florverde Sustainable Flowers: https://florverde.org
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): https://fsc.org/en
Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody (COC): https://fsc.org/en/page/chain-custody-certification
Forest Stewardship Council Forest Management Certification: https://fsc.org/en/page/forest-management-certification
France organic rules: https://www.organicexport.info/france.html
FSSC 22000 (food safety): https://www.fssc22000.com andhttp://isoupdate.com/standards/fssc-22000/ andhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Food_Safety_Initiative
Garment and textile standards and certification: https://www.textilestandards.com
GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative for the Improvement of Food Safety Management Systems): http://isoupdate.com/standards/gfsi/

Global Coffee Platform (code of conduct): https://www.globalcoffeeplatform.org/latest/2015/new-4c-code-of-conduct
Global Compact: https://www.unglobalcompact.org
Global Food Safety Initiative: https://mygfsi.com/how-to-implement/certification/
Global GAP: https://www.globalgap.org/uk_en/
Global GAP Aquaculture: https://www.aquaculturealliance.org/
Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS): https://www.global-standard.org/certification.html
Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC): https://www.gstcouncil.org
Gluten Free Certification Organization: https://gfco.org
Gluten Free Certification (BRCGS): https://www.brcgs.com/brcgs/gluten-free-certification-program/
GMP+ certification: https://www.gmpplus.org/en and http://isoupdate.com/standards/gmp/
Green Globe (for tourism): https://greenglobe.com/green-globe-certification/
Green Key (for tourism): https://www.greenkey.global
GRI Standards: https://www.globalreporting.org/standards
HACCP: http://isoupdate.com/standards/haccp/
Humane Certified: https://certifiedhumane.org
ICO (International Coffee Organisation): http://www.ico.org
India organic rules: https://www.organicexport.info/india.html
International Butterfly Breeders Association: https://www.internationalbutterflybreeders.org
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM): https://www.ifoam.bio
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS): https://www.ifrs.org
International Financial Reporting Standards for SMEs: https://www.ifrs.org/issued-standards/ifrs-for-smes/
International Labour Standards (ILO): https://www.ilo.org/global/standards/introduction-to-international-labour-standards/lang--en/index.htm
International Tropical Timber Organisation: https://www.itto.int
IOAS (International Organic Accreditation Service): https://ioas.org/
(ISC)² (cyber-security): https://www.isc2.org
ISCC, ISSC EU and ISCC+ (sustainability): https://www.iscc-system.org
ISO: http://www.iso.org
ISO9000: https://www.iso.org/iso-9001-quality-management.html
ISO9001: https://www.iso.org/standard/62085.html andhttp://isoupdate.com/resources/what-is-iso-9001/
ISO9004: https://www.iso.org/standard/70397.html
ISO10001 (quality management and customer satisfaction): https://www.iso.org/standard/71579.html
ISO14001: https://www.iso.org/iso-14001-environmental-management.html andhttp://isoupdate.com/general/iso-14001-explained/
ISO14004 (environmental management system): https://www.iso.org/standard/60856.html

Note: Standards and certifications are becoming increasingly important in all areas of business. While voluntary in nature, some are growing into a key determinant of business success, particularly in some overseas markets. In the case of B2B, major clients and buyers may prefer -- or even demand -- that products and services they wish to acquire meet certain set standards, and that the supplier has attained a particular certification in that regard. For example, having Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification may be a mandatory requirement of some buyers in the food sector. Or, in the case of manufacture and sales of products used in infrastructure or utilities projects (eg. piping or cables), government agencies will require suppliers to have ISO9000 certification before they will procure from those suppliers.

In the case of B2C, retail customers may also prefer to buy products and services that are compliant with certain standards – such as organic, gluten-free, halal, kosher, vegan, vegetarian, etc. – and will be willing to pay a higher price (or ‘premium’) for those that are certified accordingly. It is important to keep in mind, if selecting a certification, that it is one recognized by customers or clients in the market into which you are selling. So, for example, there is little to be gained in attaining a certification that is recognized in Laos, but not recognized in the EU, if you aim to primarily sell the product or service in Europe.

There are many kinds of certifications and standards around the world, and they are continually changing. The list of voluntary standards provided above is not an exhaustive list, but covers some of the main certifications and standards at the time this list was compiled.

Please note that this list does not include mandatory certifications, standards or approvals that countries may require for specific products sold in their markets, as stipulated by various relevant government agencies. These may pertain to: i) the quality and safety of the product itself; ii) the contents of the product (eg. additives used in food products); iii) labelling requirements; and iv) even the kind of packaging used. The specific regulations will likely pertain to the type of product (eg. electrical items, animal-based food, non-animal food, etc.) and the country of origin. Countries typically have more than one government agency monitoring this trade, depending on the type of product or service. For example, in the UK, all food imports are monitored by the Food Standards Agency, all plants and plant products are monitored by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (under the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), while medicines for humans are monitored by the Department of Health and Social Care, and medicines for animals are handled by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, which also comes under the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

What is the difference between a certification body and an accreditation body ?

A certification body typically certifies (or ‘verifies’) that a company complies with a particular standard. An accreditation body is responsible for approving and monitoring those certification bodies. There is usually only one accreditation body for a particular standard and/or country. In Laos, this is the Department of Standardization and Metrology (DoSM) in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC). But there can be numerous bodies offering to certify that businesses meet that standard, usually for a fee. As a business, you will want to be certified by a certification body, and not an accreditation body. But for that certification to have any value, you should check to ensure that the certification body is itself certified by an accreditation body.

In the UK, the principal accreditation body is called UKAS (ttps://www.ukas.com). This is what it says on the UKAS website: “Accreditation determines the technical competence, reliability and integrity of Conformity Assessment Bodies. It spans all aspects of our everyday lives to provide confidence that accredited organisations are competent and can be trusted to deliver promised levels of performance and protection for the products and services we rely on. Organisations check conformity and compliance with standards and regulations through testing, verification, inspection and calibration. UKAS accreditation elevates the credibility of test results, ensures the reliability of measurements, enhances the reputation of certified activities, and ensures inspected equipment and processes can be relied upon to operate safely and accurately.”

National accreditation bodies:

Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation: https://www.apac-accreditation.org
Australia and New Zealand (joint): https://www.jas-anz.org
Austria: https://www.bmdw.gv.at
Belgium: https://economie.fgov.be/belac
Cambodia: http://www.mih.gov.kh and https://www.iso.org/member/537437.html
Canada: https://www.scc.ca
China: https://www.cnas.org.cn/english/
Europe: https://european-accreditation.org
France: https://www.cofrac.fr
Germany: https://www.dakks.de
Hong Kong: https://www.itc.gov.hk/en/quality/hkas/index.html
India: https://www.qcin.org and http://nabcb.qci.org.in
Indonesia: http://kan.or.id
Ireland: https://www.inab.ie
Italy: https://www.accredia.it
Japan: https://www.jab.or.jp
Malaysia: http://www.jsm.gov.my
Netherlands: https://www.rva.nl
Philippines: https://www.dti.gov.ph/pab/
Russia: https://en.fsa.gov.ru
Singapore: https://www.sac-accreditation.gov.sg
South Korea: https://www.kab.or.kr/English/kab/kab_greeting.html
Sweden: https://www.swedac.se
Switzerland: https://www.sas.admin.ch/sas/en/home.html
Taiwan: https://www.taftw.org.tw
Thailand: https://www.tisi.go.th/home/en (industry) and https://www.acfs.go.th (agriculture)
UK: https://www.ukas.com
USA: https://anab.ansi.org
USA (international): https://www.iasonline.org
Vietnam: http://www.boa.gov.vn/en and (STAMEQ) https://tcvn.gov.vn
Global (IAF): https://www.iaf.nu

Certification bodies registered in Thailand: https://www.tisi.go.th/onsc-cb-units-branch/en
Certification bodies registered in Vietnam: http://www.boa.gov.vn/en/tim-kiem-chung-nhan

For a full list of International Accreditation Forum members, go to: https://iaf.nu/en/accreditation-bodies

For a full list of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) members, go to: https://www.iso.org/about/members