Volunteer: COABC Accreditation Board Members

Volunteer Members – BCCOP Producer & Inspection/Certification Members
The Certified Organic Associations of British Columbia (COABC) represents organic Certifying Bodies (CBs) in British Columbia and supports and advocates for a stronger, more resilient organic sector. The COABC Accreditation Board (AB) administers the province’s organic accreditation program – British Columbia Certified Organic Program (BCCOP). This involves the core work of accrediting BC Certifying Bodies who, in turn, certify organic operators (farms and businesses) in BC.

The AB is seeking two (2) volunteers: one Inspection/Certification Member and one BCCOP Producer Member for a minimum of one three-year term starting in 2025. View this posting as a PDF.

The AB operates through a robust and transparent accreditation system.

Duties and responsibilities of AB Members are the following:

Commitment to attending, preparing for, and actively participating in meetings (4 virtual, 1 in-person) and email discussions;
Accreditation decision making in compliance with COABC policy and procedure, BCCOP program criteria;
Making recommendations for improvement of COABC policy and procedure;
Responding to requests for interpretation of accreditation criteria and standards.
The successful applicants will have a high degree of personal integrity, knowledge, and experience in the organic sector, as well as several of the following basic competencies:

Knowledge and/or experience in organic production agriculture, farming, and food systems;
Knowledge and/or experience in quality control systems and audit processes;
Knowledge and/or experience in administration/management;
Knowledge and/or experience with volunteer boards of incorporated societies;
Knowledge and/or experience in professions that require certification or accreditation.
The Certification/Inspection Member would be an individual with experience in organic inspection and the certification process e.g. an inspector or file reviewer or someone from a similar field, or with experience with the development of organic standards.

The BCCOP Producer Member will represent the interests of organic Producers in BC throughout the accreditation process. They should have experience in agricultural production and a working knowledge of the Canadian Organic Standard. Experience in livestock would be considered an asset. Have 2 or more years’ experience with a certified operation in the BC Certified Organic program.

Benefits of this position include:

Maintaining and improving the integrity and efficiency of BC’s organic accreditation system;
Professional experience and skill set building in all the above competencies;
Professional networking and training opportunities within BC’s organic sector;
Annual in-person AB meeting with all board-related travel expenses included.
Please submit a cover letter, resume and two references to accreditation@organicbc.org.

We thank all applicants for their interest. Preference will be given to candidates with minimal conflict of interest involving BC Certification Bodies and associated organic operations. This posting will remain open until filled.