National Organic Program (NOP)

Providing national organic certification standards, information, and accreditation for certifying agencies

The National Organic Program was established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 to help develop credible national organic standards, ensure consumer confidence, and facilitate trade. The NOP is charged with developing this with the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), an advisory committee of farmers, consumer advocates, scientists, and others.

Organic production has been practiced in the United States since the late 1940s. From the beginning, the industry has grown from experimental garden plots to farms with surplus products to sell under a special "organic" label. Food manufacturers have developed organic processed products and many retail chains specialize in the sale of "organic" products.

This growth stimulated a need for verification that products are indeed produced according to certain standards. Thus, the organic certification industry also evolved. By the late 1980s, after trying to develop a consensus of production and certification standards, the organic industry petitioned Congress to draft the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) defining "organic" practices.

Congress passed the act to:

Establish national standards governing the marketing of certain agricultural products as organically produced products
Assure consumers that organically produced products meet a consistent standard
Facilitate commerce in fresh and processed food that is organically produced.

The OFPA also provided that an advisory board, the National Organic Standards Board, be assembled to help the USDA write the regulation. The board is composed of 15 members, each representing different segments of the organic industry. They make recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture, especially regarding the substances that can be used in organic production and handling.

As a result of the OFPA, USDA dedicated much time and effort to fulfill the requirements of the statute. By adopting the NOSB recommendations, listening to public input, consulting with states and certifying agents, and considering other Federal regulations, the NOP developed and implemented national standards for organic production and handling. The regulations became effective on October 21, 2002.

Information Available
Interested parties can obtain a wealth of information about U.S. organic regulations and practices from the National Organic Program. This includes information about:

Certifying agents: Includes accredited certifying agents, accreditation status table, application for accreditation, appeals process, compliance and enforcement, and cost share.
Consumer issues: Includes background information about NOP, the USDA organic seal, organic labeling photo, fact sheets such as Organic Standards, Labeling and Certification.
NOP regulations and policies: Includes NOP standards, National List information, policy statements, and trade issues.
Producers, handlers, and processors: Includes National List information, labeling packaged products, labeling alcoholic beverages, the peer review panel, and questions and answers.
State programs: Includes approval procedures, approved state programs, accredited state Departments of Agriculture, state contacts, and the cost-share program.

Contact
Richard Mathews, Associate Deputy Administrator
USDA-AMS-TMP-NOP
Room 4008-South Building
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250-0200
Phone: (202) 720-3252; Fax: (202) 205-7808
E-mail: NOP.Webmaster@usda.gov

Internet
www.ams.usda.gov/nop/

Last Updated December 28, 2004