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"Organically grown" food is food grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Pesticides acquired from natural sources (such as biological pesticides) may be used in producing organically grown food.
Background National Organic Program National Standards on Organic Agricultural Production and Handling Organic Foods Production Act Organic Production and Handling Standards Guidance for Labeling Pesticides Under the National Organic Program Other Organic Farming Links
Related topics
Biopesticides
Integrated Pest Management
Pollution Prevention, Best Management Practices, and Conservation
Sustainability
Related publications from the Ag Center
Biopesticides
Integrated Pest Management
Organic Farming
Pollution Prevention, Best Management Practices, and Conservation
Sustainability
EPA grants accessible to reduce pesticide use
PestWise (aforetime Strategic Agricultural Initiative) Grants
Background Organic production has been practiced in the United States back the backward 1940s. From that time, the industry has developed from beginning garden plots to large farms with surplus products awash under a special organic label. Food manufacturers have developed organic processed products and abounding retail marketing chains specialize in the sale of "organic" products. This growth angry a charge for analysis that products are indeed produced according to assertive standards. Thus, the organic certification industry also evolved.
More than 40 private organizations and state agencies (certifiers) currently accredit organic food, but their standards for growing and labeling organic food may differ. For example, some agencies may admittance or prohibit altered pesticides or fertilizers in growing organic food. In addition, the language contained in seals, labels, and logos approved by organic certifiers may differ. By the late 1980s, after an attempt to develop a consensus of production and certification standards, the organic industry petitioned Congress to abstract the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) defining "organic".
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National Organic Program
The National Organic Program (NOP) is a marketing program housed aural the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service, the agency that sets business standards. The NOP mission is to develop and implement national standards that administer the marketing of agricultural products as organically produced, to facilitate business in beginning and processed food that is organically produced, and to assure consumers that such products meet consistent standards.
The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances which identifies synthetic substances that may be used, and the nonsynthetic substances that cannot be used, in organic production and administration operations.
More information from USDA
National Organic Program
USDA Accredited Certifying Agents
National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances
More advice from other organizations
National Organic Program Compliance Checklist for Producers
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National Standards on Organic Agricultural Production and Handling The National Standards on Organic Agricultural Production and Handling (NOP rule) was issued on December 21, 2000, by USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service. The standards in the NOP rule are similar to most of the standards organic producers and handlers currently use, and are intended to be flexible abundant to accommodate the advanced ambit of operations and products grown and raised in every region of the United States. The Organic Foods Production Act and the NOP rule require that agricultural products labeled as organic arise from farms or handling operations certified by a state or private agency that has been accredited by USDA. Neither the Organic Foods Production Act nor the NOP rule address food safety or nutrition.
Food labels must be in compliance by early 2001.
The NOP rule prohibits the use of genetic engineering (included in the account of afar methods), ionizing radiation, and sewage sludge. The rule includes the following:
Production and handling requirements, which address organic crop production, wild crop harvesting, organic livestock management, and processing and handling of organic agricultural products The National List of Allowed Synthetic and Prohibited Non-Synthetic Substances (7 CFR 205.600-205.606) Labeling requirements for organic products Compliance, testing, fee, and state program approval requirements Certification and recordkeeping requirements Accreditation requirements for accepting and maintaining accreditation, as well as requirements for foreign accreditation Other administrative functions of the National Organic Program, which include appraisal of foreign organic certification programs.
More information from USDA
National Organic Standards Regulations (English)
National Organic Program Handbook
NOP Organic Production and Handling Standards (PDF) (English) (2 pp, 72K)
NOP Organic Production and Handling Standards (PDF) (Spanish) (2 pp, 29K)
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Organic Foods Production Act The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990, adopted as part of the 1990 Farm Bill, requires the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop national standards for organically produced agronomical products to assure consumers that agricultural products marketed as organic meet consistent, compatible standards. The Act aswell requires USDA to establish an organic acceptance program based on recommendations of a 15-member National Organic Standards Board. In addition to the Board’s recommendations, USDA advised accompaniment, clandestine, and foreign organic certification programs to advice codify the final organic regulations.
More information from USDA
Organic Foods Production Act of 1990
National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)
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Organic Production and Handling Standards The National Organic Program (NOP) final rule contains regulations that will ensure that organically labeled products accommodated consistent civic standards.
What agricultural operations are affected by the standards?
Any farm, agrarian crop harvesting, or handling operation that wants to sell an agricultural product as organically produced must attach to the national organic standards.
> Handling operations include processors, manufacturers, and repackers of organic products.
> These requirements include operating under an organic system plan approved by an accredited certifying agent and application materials in accordance with the National List of Allowed Synthetic and Prohibited Non-Synthetic Substances.
> Operations that advertise less than $5,000 a year in organic agricultural products are exempted from certification and preparing an organic arrangement plan, but they must operate in acquiescence with these regulations and may label products as organic.
> Retail food establishments that sell organically produced agricultural products but do not process them are also exempt from certification.
Standards apply to production process
> The national organic standards address the methods, practices, and substances used in producing and handling crops, livestock, and processed agricultural products.
> The requirements apply to the way the product is created, not to measurable backdrop of the product itself.
> Although specific practices and materials used by organic operations may alter, the standards require every aspect of organic production and handling to comply with the provisions of the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA).
> Organically produced food cannot be produced using excluded methods, sewage sludge, or ionizing radiation.
Crop standards
The organic crop production standards say that:
> Land will accept no banned substances applied to it for at least 3 years before the autumn of an organic crop.
> The use of genetic engineering (included in excluded methods), ionizing radiation and sewage sludge is prohibited.
> Soil abundance and crop nutrients will be managed through tillage and agronomics practices, crop rotations, and cover crops, supplemented with animal and crop decay materials and allowed synthetic materials.
> Preference will be given to the use of organic seeds and other planting stock, but a farmer may use non-organic seeds and burying banal under defined conditions.
> Crop pests, weeds, and diseases will be controlled primarily through management practices including concrete, automated, and biological controls.
> When these practices are not acceptable, a biological, botanical, or synthetic actuality approved for use on the National List may be used.
Livestock standards
These standards apply to animals used for meat, milk, eggs, and other animal products represented as organically produced. The livestock standards say that:
>Animals for slaughter must be raised under organic management from the endure third of gestation, or no after than the second day of life for poultry.
> Producers are required to feed livestock agricultural feed products that are 100 percent organic, but may also provide accustomed vitamin and mineral supplements.
> Producers may convert an entire, audible dairy herd to organic production by providing 80 percent organically produced feed for 9 months, followed by 3 months of 100 percent organically produced feed.
> Organically raised animals may not be accustomed hormones to promote growth, or antibiotics for any acumen.
> Preventive management practices, including the use of vaccines, will be used to keep animals healthy.
> Producers are prohibited from denial treatment from a sick or injured animal; about, animals advised with a prohibited medication may not be sold as organic.
> All organically raised animals must have access to the outdoors, including access to pasture for ruminants. They may be briefly confined alone for affidavit of health, safety, the animal’s stage of production, or to protect clay or baptize quality.
Handling standards
The handling standards say that:
> All non-agricultural capacity, whether synthetic or non-synthetic, must be included on the National List of Allowed Synthetic and Prohibited Non-Synthetic Substances.
> Handlers must anticipate the commingling of organic with non-organic products and protect organic products from contact with prohibited substances.
> In a processed product labeled as "organic," all agricultural ingredients must be organically produced, unless the ingredient(s) is not commercially available in organic anatomy.
More information from USDA
Understanding Organic Labeling
National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances
National List Petition Process
NOSB Policy and Procedures Manual
National List Materials Review Process (PDF) (1 pg, 78K)
National Organic Program
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Guidance for Labeling Pesticides Under the National Organic Program EPA issued the Final Guidance on Labeling Pesticide Products Under National Organic Program on January 31, 2003. The guidance describes how registrants can access EPA approval of label language advertence that all ingredients (active and inert) in a pesticide product and all uses of that pesticide meet the belief defined in the United States Department of Agricultures (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) Rule.
The guidance provides an example of acceptable label language and the procedures for abacus such identification to product labels. The information on the pesticide label will abetment organic growers and those bodies certifying organic production methods in alive which pesticide products meet the requirements of the NOP Rule for use in organic agriculture.