Main Menu

• OAM home
• Organic Directory home
• Messages
• OAM Organic Assurance
• Listing
  • Location
  • Categories
  • Certification
  • Download
• OMD 2010
  • Listing
  • Advertising

Tell a friend about this page!

Messages

Organics for a Responsible & Healthy Lifestyle

In a world of finite resources, growing population and facing climate change, greater eco-social accountability is required of consumers and businesses to maintain peace, security and economic sustainability. Organic agriculture can serve society's need for safe quality food, environment conservation and fair economy. Every person or business can influence better management of global resources, community welfare and personal health by practicing the organic movement's principles of Care, Health, Ecology and Fairness.

In the 1st OAM Directory 2006, there were 43 listed entities. I am happy to see more than 190 listed in this issue. Consumer interest in organic products is growing in the country. This directory is on of several projects OAM is implementing to service the organic industry. Having a compehensive directory available for free in print and soon on the OAM website (www.organicmalaysia.com.my) will facilitate easy access to information about organic agriculture and available products in the country.

I encourage everybody to think, grow, eat and use organic products for a responsible and healthy lifesytle. Not only will it enhance your quality of life, it will also support sustainable development for future generations. We can all Be part of the solution!

Ong Kung Wai
Chaiperson
Organic Alliance Malaysia

Building Trust and Confidence in Organics

Congratulations to OAM on identifying a comprehensive list of organic related operators nationwide. As the numebr of entities listed in this directory shows, organic agriculture offers good business opportunities for producers in the country to move up the value chain. Malaysia haa a large food import bill. Whilst not all imported food products can be produced in the country, lots more can be done. Moreover, locally grown food, in line with organic agriculture principles, has a lower carbon footprint and greater benefit to the local economy.

Besides information, maintaining consumer trust and market confidence in organic products is also important to the growth of the sector. The government has established Skim Organik Malaysis (SOM), implemente by the Crop Quality Control Division of the Department of Agriculture to this purpose. I am happy to note all SOM certified producers are listed here. They deserve to be highlighted for their efforts in meeting the Malaysian Standard for Organic Agriculture (MS1529:2001) and SOM certification requirements.

Whilst is not mandatory to be certified, I encourage all organic producers to register with SOM as a responsible and credible operator. Moreover SOM certification is free. We look forward to collaborate with OAM to further build trust and confidence. I hope in subsequent issues, more if not all producers listed are registered with SOM.

Norma Othman
Director
Crop Quality Control Division
Department of Agriculture, Malaysia