Organic Agriculture Bylaw No. 31 of 2024 issued pursuant to Articles 7 and 71 of Agriculture Law No. 13 of 2015

This Bylaw, consisting of nine articles, aims to ensure strict adherence to organic farming standards while promoting the sector's sustainable development and applies to organic agricultural products, both processed and unprocessed, that bear labels, raw material descriptions, or commercial documents containing terms such as organic, biological (bio), or ecological (eco), or any equivalent wording. These terms indicate to consumers that the products and their ingredients have been produced in accordance with organic farming standards. Article 4 strictly prohibits using genetically modified organisms (GMOs), or any parts or materials derived from them, in any product that does not comply with organic agriculture regulations. Article 5 establishes a National Committee for Organic Agriculture within the Ministry of Agriculture, responsible for (i) setting the general policy for the development of organic agriculture; (ii) reviewing and approving proposals related to the regulation and advancement of the organic production sector; (iii) overseeing the annual plan and annual report on the implementation of organic farming. Article 6 mandates the Minister of Agriculture to form the Committee for Licensing Organic Establishments, chaired by the Ministry's Assistant Secretary-General for Plant Wealth. This committee is tasked with (i) proposing recommendations for the development and regulation of the organic agriculture sector and submitting them to the national committee for approval; (ii) preparing and updating the list of registered and approved organic agricultural inputs permitted for circulation in the kingdom, subject to national committee approval; (iii) recommending the issuance of licenses for organic operators to the minister; (iv) recommending the licensing of certification bodies that grant organic farming certificates to the minister or their delegate; (v) reviewing the annual report on organic farming implementation and presenting it to the national committee.