Law for the Promotion of Organic or Ecological Production (Law No. 29196)

Law No. 29196, the Law for the Promotion of Organic or Ecological Production, published on January 29, 2008, establishes Peru's national legal framework for promoting the sustainable and competitive development of organic or ecological production. The law seeks to promote organic production, strengthen producer competitiveness, encourage producer organization and support the consolidation of organic production as an alternative for economic and social development. It establishes the Ministry of Agriculture as the governing authority for organic production and the National Agricultural Health Service (SENASA) as the national authority responsible for oversight of organic production. It also creates the National Council for Organic Products (CONAPO) as a coordination and advisory body and provides for Regional Councils for Organic Products (COREPO). The law requires products marketed as organic to hold certification issued by authorized certification bodies and establishes mechanisms for promoting organic production, coordination among public and private stakeholders and support for producers and their organizations. It constitutes the general legal framework for organic production in Peru and was subsequently developed through implementing regulations and specific rules governing certification, oversight and use of the National Organic Production Seal.