Today, the ecological product market has grown considerably and has become an important sector. This market, which grows by 25 percent each year, is expected to exceed 100 billion Dollars in the next decade with this growth rate. The major benefits in this regard are the European Union countries, America and Japan. Against this development, many international organizations have entered the ecological product market. As a matter of fact, ecological products (such as wool, cotton, cut flowers), which are offered for sale in these markets, are supplied from many countries of the world. Therefore, in the growing ecological product sector, there are many local and voluntary local organizations as well as international organizations in setting, applying, controlling and updating the criteria. These organizations are headed by IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements).
This organization is the leader of ecological farming activities in the world. Today, the company is headquartered in Germany and more than 140 members from around 800 have joined the organization. These members include both ecological production enterprises, businesses that trade or process them, and research organizations. Although most of its members are from European countries, nowadays new members from all over the world are joining. The ever-renewed ecological farming guide prepared by IFOAM is an important resource. TÜRCERT Technical Control and Certification Inc. has designed the ECOmark ecological product standard in order to protect human health, but especially to prevent damage to the ecological balance of the environment, and carries out certification studies for ecological products. Products bearing the ECOmark ecological product logo on them are guiding consumers who want to consume environmentally friendly products.
The content of the ECOmark ecological product standard is as follows:
- Production activities should be carried out without damaging the natural environment or within certain limit values
- Production work should be done in natural conditions
- Products should disappear quickly and spontaneously in the natural environment
- The packaging material on the products should not harm the natural environment
- The document does not prove the quality of the products, but still states that it is of good quality
