How an Upcoming Organic Regulation Change May Affect You

November 11, 2020

Are you a broker, trader or importer of organic products? A proposed rule aimed at bolstering the National Organic Program’s regulatory oversight and enforcement of the organic supply chain may require your business to be certified.

The Strengthening Organic Enforcement proposed rule, published in August 2020, is intended to protect integrity in the organic supply chain and build consumer trust in the USDA organic label. The rule’s proposed amendments will close gaps in NOP regulation 7 CFR Part 205 to strengthen consistent practices to deter and detect organic fraud—and to improve farm-to-market transparency and product traceability.

The rule will also increase the types of businesses that need to be certified including importers, brokers and traders of organic products.

The final rule is expected to be published by mid-2022.

Does the proposed rule apply to your business?

Potentially affected entities may include:

Individuals or business entities that are considering organic certification
Existing production and handling operations that are currently certified organic under the USDA organic regulations
Brokers, traders and importers of organic products that are not currently certified under the USDA organic regulations
Operations that use non-retail containers for shipping or storing organic products
Retailers that sell organic products
Operations that receive or review organic certificates to verify compliance with USDA organic regulations
USDA-accredited certifying agents, inspectors and reviewers
Operations that import organic products into the United States
Operations that export organic products to the United States

The organic experts at Quality Assurance International (QAI), an NSF company, are ready to help you interpret these regulations and how they may affect your business.