Sikkim State Organic Certification Agency (SSOCA)

Sikkim State Organic Certification Agency (SSOCA) is an autonomous organization established under the Sikkim Government in 2015 with the financial support of the Government of Sikkim. SSOCA is registered under the society act and has a separate cadre of staff to render organic certification activities in the state, country and other parts of the world.

Vision and Mission

SSOCA's vision is to promote organic farming and organic products in Sikkim and beyond, and to provide a credible and reliable certification system for organic producers, processors and traders. SSOCA's mission is to provide an institutional mechanism for inspection and certification of organic production, processing and trade in India as per national and international organic standards.

Services and Standards

SSOCA offers a range of services and standards for organic certification, such as:

• Organic Inspection and Certification: SSOCA inspects and certifies organic farms, groups, wild collection areas, processing units, storage facilities, traders and exporters as per the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), the National Organic Standards (NOS) and the Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India).
• Forest and Wild Products (Non-Timber) Certification: SSOCA certifies forest and wild products (non-timber) such as medicinal plants, herbs, spices, honey, etc. as per the Voluntary Certification Scheme for Medicinal Plant Produce (VCSMPP) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.
• Good Agriculture Practices (INDGAP) Certification: SSOCA certifies agricultural practices that ensure food safety, quality and environmental sustainability as per the Indian Good Agriculture Practices (INDGAP) standards.
• Geographical Indication (GI) Certification: SSOCA certifies products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin as per the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

Geographical Area of Operation

SSOCA operates from the extreme north of the country to the extreme south, and from the east to the west. Its geographical area of operation is throughout India. Presently, SSOCA is operating its work in UT Ladakh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, North Eastern States of India, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Goa and Kerala. And in the near future, SSOCA is intending to extend its geographical area of operation globally.

Contact Details

SSOCA's head office is located at:

Ground Floor, Soil Testing Lab Building, ICAR Complex, Tadong, Gangtok, Sikkim 737102

Phone: +91-03592-232494

Fax: +91-03592-232495

Email: ssoca2015@gmail.com

Website: www.ssoca.in