Developing risk indicator system of non-compliance for organic crop farms based on China organic regulations

Abstract Farming management and certification are essential for organic agriculture development to make sure that farming practices are compliant with organic regulations. To improve the efficiency of organic certification and farm management, a risk-based indicator system of organic crop production was established according to literature review and Chinese organic regulations. Three dimensions, 11 themes, and 25 indicators were selected and the weights of which were determined through Analytic Hierarchy Process. The highest weight was assigned to the production dimension (0.59), followed by management (0.24) and environment (0.17). The three highest risk themes in the sequence were plant protection, detection and soil fertility management with a weight of 0.17, 0.15 and 0.12, respectively. At the indicator level, pesticide detection rate, nutrient satisfaction rate, the proportion of non-chemical treatment, the severity of crop diseases, pests and weeds, and the quality of soil environment ranked top five according to the weight of their risk. Chemicals application including pesticides and fertilizers was the main concern in organic production and certification. The results will provide producers, inspectors, and certifiers useful references to reduce the risk of non-compliance, and increase the integrity and credibility during organic production and certification.