Organic Production and Standards
# 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 properties of the product itself.
> Although specific practices and materials used by organic operations may vary, 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 have no prohibited substances applied to it for at least 3 years before the harvest of an organic crop.
> The use of genetic engineering (included in excluded methods), ionizing radiation and sewage sludge is prohibited.
> Soil fertility and crop nutrients will be managed through tillage and cultivation practices, crop rotations, and cover crops, supplemented with animal and crop waste 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 planting stock under specified conditions.
> Crop pests, weeds, and diseases will be controlled primarily through management practices including physical, mechanical, and biological controls.
> When these practices are not sufficient, a biological, botanical, or synthetic substance approved for use on the National List may be used.
