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Summary
Use of the word "organic" as a food marketing claim has been regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program since October 2002. Organic is a standard of production, not a guarantee of final product characteristics. The NOP Standards stipulate that crops be grown without synthetic fertilizers, that natural resources be protected and that preventive measures be used to promote crop and livestock health. Organic standards in place in other countries vary in some details but are broadly similar to the U.S. program.
Organic status is verified through a third-party certification process. Individual certification agencies receive accreditation from the USDA to certify producers, processors and handlers to the NOP Standards. There are currently nearly 100 USDA-accredited certification agencies operating worldwide. Certification agencies contract with independent organic inspectors to conduct scheduled annual inspections for all certified farms and processing facilities.
Choose your certification agency carefully, and get input from other organic farmers in your area. Your best approach to the certification and inspection process is to be completely open about your farming practices and recordkeeping systems. Good recordkeeping makes the difference between a certified and a non-certified organic producer.
In the next lesson, we'll talk in more detail about allowed and prohibited inputs for organic production.
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