The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program is defined by small updates. This situation will change in his March. Strengthening organizational enforcement and Standard Regulations for Organic Livestock and Poultry It will be enforceable.
These amendments, introduced last year, include the most extensive updates to the program since the original Organic Food Production Act of 1990.
Many agree that the time has come.
“The USDA Organic Seal is the most highly regulated and closely monitored label in the United States and is respected around the world,” said Scott Rice, USDA Regulatory Affairs Director. organic trade association. “The new regulations close gaps in the organic supply chain and create consistent certification practices. This protects the integrity of organic products and ensures continued consumer confidence in the USDA Organic Seal.”
But opinions differ on how much change these rules will bring.
“SOE and OLPS will have a significant impact on organic certification programs,” adds Kate Mendenhall, executive director of the association. organic agriculture association. “However, we cannot say that they are a complete overhaul. Rather, the National Organic Standards are continually improving.”
Why are these changes being made?
The goal of these updates is simple: stop organic fraud.
The USDA developed a reputation for inconsistent interpretation and enforcement of regulations, which undermined USDA Organic’s brand strength.
Twenty years ago, organic supply chains were short and transparent, and regulations reflected that. USDA Organic $11 billion industry. The increased complexity had the potential to exacerbate fraud within the supply chain.
“The vast majority of organic businesses are already doing the right thing, but fraudulent activity in organic businesses, whether in the United States or abroad, is unacceptable,” Rice said.
This update aims to increase transparency in organic certification by targeting fraud and growing industry and consumer trust. This change will require more record-keeping throughout the organic supply chain, even for products that contain only a small portion of certified organic ingredients.
“The organic community is calling for further action from the USDA to strengthen fraud prevention, improve authority at U.S. borders, and strengthen organic regulations,” Mendenhall said. “SOE and OLPS are moving us toward these improvements.”
Key impacts of SOE and OLPS
While the original USDA organic standard focused on farmers and retailers, SOE and OLPS expand its impact. Among other measures, it will expand certification requirements for various actors in the supply chain, increase the frequency and intensity of organic testing, and require more data from certified operations more frequently.
USDA-accredited certifiers, retailers, businesses that import organic products, and businesses considering transitioning to organic farming will all be affected. In this way, this policy protects the integrity of USDA organic certification and increases farmers’ and consumers’ confidence in the promise that “certified organic” holds.
“Consumers have always had high confidence in the USDA seal,” Rice said. “With a rigorous third-party verification system backed by federal regulations developed through a transparent public process, the USDA Organic Seal is the most trusted label on the market.”
This does not mean that unintended consequences will not occur.
“Organic record-keeping is already widespread. If we don’t address this issue, we will likely lose small and medium-sized organic farmers from the program,” Mendenhall said.
Impact of OLPS on livestock and poultry
Poultry and livestock are also not exempt from these changes. OLPS establishes strong standards to improve animal welfare practices and clarify how they are implemented.
These rules are intended to improve consumer confidence and ensure that all sellers adhere to the same standards. This levels the playing field between large and small producers while ensuring more animals are raised humanely. These rules include outdoor space requirements for each species, living conditions, and how animals are transported to slaughterhouses.
One of the updates includes a rule that organic livestock must have access to the outdoors at all times of the year. Pigs face additional requirements to support their ability to establish roots and live together. Poultry farmers will have an additional four years to comply with outdoor space requirements.
This update should reduce confusion for consumers who don’t know exactly what “free range” eggs mean at the grocery store. The earlier term may have referred to chickens that spent their entire lives on pasture or had limited access to small concrete pads. Going forward, the terms will be equalized among USDA organic producers.
Moving forward: Changes for small farmers?
All actors within the organic supply chain must comply with SOE and OLPS requirements by March 19, 2024.
Looking to the future, Mendenhall expects a gradual process of change to reduce the need for sweeping updates like SOPs and OLPS.
“Currently, the Organic Agriculture Association We support countermeasures This is called “Continuous Improvement and Accountability of the Organic Bill.” This new process will result in regular progress in the development of organic standards. That way, big rules like SOE and OLPS won’t be as big, but smaller rules will be advanced as the community recognizes the need for improvement. ”
Ultimately, we hope further updates will ease the increased burden on midsize businesses.
“Small farmers who sell small quantities of produce to their communities should not have the same record-keeping burden that high-risk operations require to stay compliant. Keeping organic certification affordable This is the key to attracting new organic farmers.”
