Organic farming

The National Organic Program (NOP) final rule contains regulations that will ensure that organically labeled products meet consistent national standards.
What agricultural operations are affected by the standards?
Any farm, wild crop harvesting, or handling operation that wants to sell an agricultural product as organically produced must adhere 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 using materials in accordance with the National List of Allowed Synthetic and Prohibited Non-Synthetic Substances.
> Operations that sell less than $5,000 a year in organic agricultural products are exempted from certification and preparing an organic system plan, but they must operate in compliance 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 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.
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