IOIA Training Institute

The IOIA Training Institute has served increasingly diverse audiences since 1993. The IOIA training program started as a rigorous inspector training, with both new and experienced inspectors combined into the same classes. That narrow focus quickly expanded to include specialized courses for a wide variety of audiences.

Over the past 20 years, the Institute has grown into the most versatile and comprehensive organic training program in the world. It includes Live Online courses, onsite trainings, webinars, self-directed online courses, plus valuable resources such as Organic Inspection Manuals and online reference materials. Through partnerships, alliances, and our staff of multi-lingual trainers, IOIA responds to the needs of the organic sector. IOIA has provided in-house training for educational institutions, extension staff, government agencies, certification agencies, for-profit companies, and many others.

A few examples of collaborative training:

• In 2010, IOIA partnered with the Organic Materials Institute to launch a series of webinars offering comprehensive training on inputs for organic production. The series (Crop, Livestock, and Processing Inputs) was completed in 2012.
• In 2010, IOIA partnered with a for-profit corporation with the assistance of USAID funds to provide producer workshops and inspector training in South Africa.
• In 2009, IOIA partnered with Canadian Organic Growers, Canada Organic Trade Association, and Canadian Food Inspection Agency to deliver dozens of trainings across Canada on the new Canadian Organic Standard for organic producers, inspectors, and certifiers.
• In 2005, IOIA partnered with the National Center for Appropriate Technology universities, and producers to provide training for producers, build capacity in five southern states, and publish the Southern Organic Resource Guide.