History
1990
The Center of Organic Agriculture in Egypt (COAE) was established as a non-profit organization (NGO).
Its initial objective was to develop biodynamic standards for Egyptian growers, provide training and consultancy on their implementation, and conduct inspections to ensure compliance with the Institute of Market Ecology (IMO), Switzerland.
The Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture designated COAE as a private inspection body responsible for the inspection and certification of organic products in accordance with EU regulations.
1992
1996
COAE was re-established as a limited liability company under the Ministry of Economy and International Cooperation.
COAE obtained accreditation according to EN 45011 for inspection and certification activities.
1997
1999
COAE expanded its scope to include International Demeter Standards for both production and processing.
COAE was re-accredited according to ISO/IEC 17065, with an extended scope covering GLOBALG.A.P. standards for fresh produce (fruits and vegetables).
2014
2015
COAE updated its accreditation under ISO/IEC 17065 to include GLOBALG.A.P. version 3.0, replacing the previous EUREPGAP regulations.
Due to national political and economic conditions, COAE temporarily reduced its certification scope and suspended organic certification activities.
2016
2017
COAE further adjusted its scope, discontinuing EUREPGAP and GOTS certification schemes.
COAE focused its certification scope exclusively on Demeter International Standards.
2018
2020
COAE expanded its certification scope to include Economy of Love (EoL) certification and Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS), alongside Demeter standards.
COAE underwent institutional integration with HU-COA and significantly expanded its accreditation scope to include:
- ISO/IEC 17065 (Product Certification Bodies)
- ISO/IEC 17029 (Validation and Verification Bodies)
- ISO/IEC 14065 (Greenhouse Gas Validation and Verification)
- ISO 14064-3 (Greenhouse Gas Verification)
COAE also introduced carbon credit certification services and aligned its management system with international climate and sustainability verification standards.
