• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.177-197
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• 2010

Japan launched its regulatory certification system for organic foods based on the amended JAS laws in June 2000, followed by the implementation of regulations on organic agricultural products and organic processed foods in January 2001 and with the implementation of the standards on organic animal husbandry and organic feed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries in 2005, organic foods have been under integrated and systematic supervision. Certification of organic foods can be undertaken by registered accredited bodies (private certification bodies) or legal entities conforming to the regulations of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries. However, with the amendment of the JAS laws in March 2006, only legal entities conforming to the regulations of the ISO/IEC GUIDE 65 are eligible as certification bodies. Foreign organic products imported to Japan must be certified organic under JAS regulations and must be manufactured or produced by foreign manufacturers certified by local or foreign registered accredited organizations and distributed with the Organic JAS Mark affixed or through importers certified by local registered accredited organizations and distributed with the Organic JAS Mark affixed on the products. It can be implied from the Japanese case study that it necessary to reform the diverse agricultural products certification systems to set up an integrated certification system, and the restructuring of government organizations, reforms of environmentally-friendly agricultural products certification system and the integration of the organic food certification systems are needed in order to integrate the control of the standards and certification systems.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.207-230
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• 2022

A survey on the understanding of environment-friendly certification system was conducted for certified operators. The survey included the necessity of certification system, difficulties in producing certified products, and general evaluation of the current certification system. Certified operators were generally satisfied with the certification system in terms of the certification standards, the public subsidy programs, and the farm management costs. Individuals with parallel production farms were relatively less satisfied than the group with full-time organic farmers. Analysis using the ranking probit model indicated that the longer the certification experience, the more highly aware the need for the certification system was. Our results indicated that policy strategies are needed to enlarge the marketability of environment-friendly agricultural products since economic factors of organic products were the most important factor for maintaining and expanding certification in overseas as well as in Korea. It seems to be necessary to implement economic triggers for certified operators to continue their certification programs by promoting the transition period certification for individual farms in parallel with conventional agriculture. Analysis of the variables correlated with the expansion of environment-friendly agriculture by the logit model implied that certified operators with the younger age and higher annual incomes were more likely to expand environment-friendly agriculture. Therefore, it might also be important to provide financial support and incentives for new entry farmers to participate in environment-friendly agriculture and establish a system to share the know-how of successful certified organic farmers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.924-937
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• 2015

This study surveyed the recognition and credibility of infant's organic cotton apparel and examined the current quality of children's organic cotton clothes available in the market. This study contributes to improve fabric certification programs and safety standards by understanding customer opinions and actual quality. A customer survey revealed that customers believe that organic cotton products should not include chemicals such as pesticides, fluorescent whitening agents and chemical colors; in addition, customers have high expectations for safety as well as worries about the products' validity. Children's underwear was the most purchased item category among organic cotton products. Current organic cotton certification programs are voluntary with multiple organizations that provide various certification standards. A total of 34.2% of children's organic cotton clothes sold at online and offline stores were not certified, and 10.5% had invalid certification information. This may substantially lower the credibility of organic cotton products and requires immediate change. Examination of organic cotton products showed that products do not meet customer expectations for quality and safety: 3 out of 8 products used accessories (buttons and wappens) that include harmful chemicals such as lead, phthalate and formaldehyde, 6 products used fluorescent whitening agents, and 4 products used other fabrics such as rayon, polyurethane and polyester. GOTS mark is the most recognized organic certification, but it still allows the usage of fluorescent whitening agents, which indicates a gap between customer opinions and actual certification standards. Managing national-level mandatory certification programs like food and setting quality standards that meets customer expectations are required to enhance the credibility of organic cotton products.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to examine the tendency of certified organic cosmetics market and the certification standards and regulations they are under, compare one of the most commonly used COSMOS-standard AISBL with the Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) organic cosmetic standard regulation. And then examining their differences and any potential issues is to present suggestions to be made as data for certification standard for natural & organic cosmetics in Korea regulation. This contents of study will be used as good research and development to promote the sustainable growth of the natural & organic cosmetic ingredients which have been grown by organic farmers certified. Also certified organic ingredients may help to growth the organic industry. I believe these are actual comparative for application to develop of natural and organic cosmetics in Korea as well the strengthening of the competitiveness of organic cosmetics certified in the world.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.735-748
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• 2015

Main aims of environment-friendly agriculture (EFA) are increasing functions for environmental conservation of agriculture and building consumer confidence for agricultural products safety. The low-pesticide certification will be abolished in 2016, and this will give rise to much confusion to low-pesticide certification producers. The non-pesticide agriculture doesn't mean organic farming, and the EFA standards of Korea don't match up to international standards to organic agriculture. The system improvement directions for EFA are to devide into two types of organic farming and EFA, and EFA includes non-pesticide and low-pesticide farming both. These types must have legal grounds respectively.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.23-35
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• 2017

The objective of this study is to analyze a price of environment-friendly and conventional rice with POS data. And we estimate the value of environment-friendly's certification with hedonic price model. In case of price level, organic and pesticide-free rice is higher than conventional rice, 22.5% and 10.6%, respectively. In contrast, price variation of conventional rice is higher environment-friendly rice. The value of organic and pesticide are 839.5 Won and 313.7 Won, respectively. As time goes by, the certification's value goes down in environment-friendly rice. In particular, price level and certification's value of pesticide-free rice is similar with conventional rice. The results of this study show that price of the environment-friendly rice is not higher than expected. Therefore it is necessary to establish a new marketing and promotion strategies for environment-friendly rice.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.435-461
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• 2011

This study was conducted field surveys and theoretical discussion whether small farmers thinks there are economics of scope in small organically grown cropslivestock farming cycling system. The discussions are summarized as follows. At the end of October 2011, the cycling agriculture farms are only a total of 15 farmers, 0.1% of total organic farms in Korea. The FMD disease, FTA, family farm structure, the importance of animal health and welfare, agricultural cycles, when considering the valuation of the multifunctionality, alternative agriculture is small farming cycling system. Organic agriculture is a 'cooperation-cycling-family farm' in the interaction it is important to understand. The two groups were surveyed. Group 1 is 6 farmers who practicing cycling farming system, and Group 2 is the 33 farmers who wish to cycling farming system. Interview survey and the survey results was obtained as follows. First, We find that there are strong economies of scope, due to a decreased costs have increased net profit. Second, the multifunctional values is realized also cycling farming system. Third, but some certification standards leads to high transaction cost. Thus, a small family farm who wishing to target organic livestock certification standards need to improve.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2016

The objective of this study is to propose a necessity of alternative certification for low-pesticide agricultural products (LPAP). For this, we conduct a survey consumer and distributor. Most of consumer does not aware an abolition of LPAP. After abolition, they will purchase pesticide-free, organic, conventional, GAP certificated in order. Both consumer and distributor need an alternative certification of LPAP and have willingness-to-purchase. However, it is necessary to make up for the reliability and objectivity on the alternative and to manage a poor certification. The results of this study is meaningful to distribution and consumption of environment-friendly agricultural products.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.25-39
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• 2002

This paper aims to provide quite recent information on the organic industry in the U.S. Major focuses are on the development of cultivation and marketing of fresh and processed organic produce and foods, newly enforced certification program, consumers' purchasing behaviors toward organic foods, and social survey results administered to the organic farmers in the U.S. The U.S. recorded 8 billion dollars' sale of organic foods in 2000, which was the largest in the world and showed 23% growth compared to the previous year. Yet the organic industry is still a niche market, occupying merely 1.5% of total food sale amount. The natural foods markets have not been so concentrated in the U.S., but it is changing and a few wholesale mart such as Whole Foods is emerging. Recent introduction of new certification program provide unified and sole standard at the federal level to which every certifier needs to adjust itself in order to be acceredited by the government. According to a social survey, consumers purchase organic foods because they concern about health, they stick to their own modes of life favoring natural foods, and so on. Another social survey shows that most organic farmers sell their produces to wholesalers, distributers, or producer coop, and direct sale to visitors at their own farm comprises of about 8 percent of their organic land.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.333-358
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• 2021

This study investigates consumers' purchasing behavior and perception of the low-carbon certificated agricultural product. To this end, we surveyed 1,000 consumers and the main findings are as follows. First, Even after six years of national certification, it is important to promote the low-carbon certification system due to insufficient awareness and purchase experience. Second, the certificated area is small at around 5% of the area of environment-friendly agricultural products and GAP certification, and certification is concentrated on fruit trees. Third, an appropriate level of high-priced strategy can be useful considering the cost of low-carbon certification, image management of low-carbon certificated agricultural products, and quality is the most important factor for consumers to consider when purchasing fresh agricultural products. Fourth, consumers recognized that the contribution of low carbon certification in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preserving the environment was higher than that of environment-friendly agricultural products or GAP certification. Considering that, promotional activities linked to environment-friendly agricultural products and GAP certification may be effective when promoting low-carbon certification. Finally, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is implementing a carbon point system linked to Green Card to revitalize low carbon certification, but 25.7% of consumers are aware of it, and 8.4% have little experience in issuing it.