"Organically grown" food is food grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Pesticides derived from natural sources (such as biological pesticides) may be used in producing organically grown food.
On this page:
Related Information
- Background
- National Organic Program(NOP)
- Guidance for labeling pesticides under the National Organic Program
- Other organic farminginformation
Background
Organic production has been practiced in the United States since the late 1940s. From that time, the industry has grown from experimental garden plots to large farms with surplus products sold under a special organic label. Food manufacturers have developed organic processed products and many retail marketing 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.
More than 40 private organizations and state agencies (certifiers) certify organic food. But their standards for growing and labeling organic food may differ. For example, there are differences in:
- permitting or prohibiting different pesticides or fertilizers in growing organic food, and
- the language contained in approved seals, labels, and logos.
By the late 1980s, in an effort to standardize production and certification, the organic industry petitioned Congress to draft the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) defining "organic".
National Organic Program
The National Organic Program (NOP) is a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) marketing program within the Agricultural Marketing Service. This agency sets marketing standards. The NOP’s mission is to:
- develop and implement national standards that govern the marketing of agricultural products as organically produced;
- facilitate commerce in fresh and processed food that is organically produced;
- assure consumers that such products meet consistent standards.
The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. This list identifies synthetic substances that may be used, and the non-synthetic substances that cannot be used, in organic production and handling operations.
More information from USDA
More information from other organizations
Guidance for labeling pesticides under the National Organics Program
The Final Guidance on Labeling Pesticide Products Under the National Organic Program(January 31, 2003)describes how registrants can obtain EPA approval of label language. Approved label language for all pesticide ingredients (active and inert) and all uses of that pesticide must meet the criteria defined in the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) Rule.
The guidance provides an example of acceptable label language and the procedures for adding such identification to product labels. The information on the pesticide label will assist organic growers and those persons certifying organic production methods in knowing which pesticide products meet the requirements of the NOP Rule for use in organic agriculture.
More information from EPA
Other organic farming information
The following links exit the site:
- The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) is an international nonprofit organization that determines which input products are allowed for use in organic production and processing.
- The Northeast Organic Farming Association(NOFA) is an affiliation of seven state chapters and provides educational conferences, workshops, farm tours and printed materials to educate farmers, gardeners, consumers and land care professionals.
