People often struggle to understand what “organic” means, and consumer research has revealed that many are not familiar with the regulatory and enforcement processes that uphold the organic seal. In response to this, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has come up with four easy-to-understand pillars that make up the USDA organic label. Each pillar highlights a key component of the National Organic Program's (NOP) process for developing and enforcing organic regulations.
Mountain Rose Herbs has been all in on organic certification for decades. Organic agriculture ensures that pesticides don't make their way into our bodies or the environment. We understand how important wellness is to you, both for your family and for the planet. We find it crucial to understand how to identify the illegitimate use of the term organic and present this guide so we can be partners on this journey to better living. Being a conscious consumer is important in our day and age, and organics can help to ensure what you are eating, drinking, and putting on your skin are safe and help you to accomplish your wellness goals.
The Four Pillars of Organics
Protected by Law
- The USDA organic label is the only government-backed marketing claim for organic food sold in the United States. Only foods produced according to the USDA organic standards can display the organic seal.
- USDA develops and strictly enforces specific standards for organic food to clarify what practices and inputs can and cannot be used in organic production and handling.
- The USDA organic seal is a registered trademark, which allows USDA to enforce criminal penalties against uncertified operations falsely using the seal to misrepresent products as organic. This protects the integrity of the organic seal and keeps fraudulent products out of the U.S. organic market.
- NOP also investigates complaints, takes action against businesses that violate the regulations, and accredits experts that inspect organic operations.
Inspected Yearly by Experts
- Organic farms and businesses are certified and inspected yearly by USDA-accredited certifiers.
- Specially trained organic inspectors visit each organic farm and business every year to confirm they still meet the organic standards. Every organic operation is also subject to additional surprise inspections and testing.
- USDA regularly audits certifiers to make sure they are correctly inspecting farms and upholding the integrity of the organic label.
- To become certified organic, operations go through a rigorous process to show that their practices follow the organic standards.
Traced from Farm to Store
- The Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule increases the USDA’s ability to oversee and enforce the organic standards and trace organic products from the store all the way back to the farm.
- Farms and businesses keep detailed records of the organic products they produce, buy, and sell. This allows businesses to choose trusted suppliers and verify that what they sell is organic.
- Certifiers audit organic supply chains to detect and defer fraud before it reaches stores.
- NOP manages the Organic INTEGRITY Database, which contains up-to-date and accurate information about operations that may or may not sell organic products. These systems and processes confirm that what consumers buy is genuinely organic.
Shaped by Public Input
- Stakeholders and the public can provide feedback (public comments) on proposed regulations to shape final policy decisions.
- The organic standards are developed with recommendations from an advisory board—the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)—composed of volunteers from the organic community.
- Stakeholders and the public can attend bi-annual NOSB public meetings and provide input to the NOSB on their recommendations.
*This list has been excerpted from the USDA Organic Consumer Outreach Toolkit.
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