Transcript NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM

Understanding the USDA Organic
Standards
Eric Sideman
Emily Brown Rosen
February, 2005
What Makes Organic Organic?
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Practice Based Standards
Mandatory Certification
Required Organic System Plan
Use of only Approved Substances
On-Site Inspection
USDA
AMS/NOP
Accreditation
Regulations
NOSB
Certification Agency
Review Applications
Enforcement
Farm Inspection
Farmer, Processor, etc.
Organic Standards for Crops
• Organic System Plan
• Distinct, defined buffers
for land
How Big???
• Land must be free of
prohibited materials for 3
years prior to harvest
Basic Crop Requirements – soil
• Must use proper tillage and cultivation practices to
maintain condition of the soil and minimize soil
erosion.
• Must manage fertility and nutrients through crop
rotations, cover crops, and plant and animal
materials
• Fertility management must not contaminate crops,
soil, or water with plant nutrients, pathogen
organisms, heavy metals, or prohibited substances.
Crop Requirements – soil
• Compost that is manure
based must be produced
to standards
• Uncomposted plant
materials are allowed
• Raw manure must be
applied at least 90-120
days prior to harvest of
crops for human
consumption
Compost Rules
• NOP rule has prescriptive guideline
If manure/animal material is used, must
– Reach 131-170 oF (55-75 oC) for 15 days
– Turn 5 times in that period
– Initial C/N ratio between 25:1 and 40:1
An Example?
• NOSB presented alternative guidelines
NOSB proposal
Compost containing animal materials is
acceptable if:
(i) made from only allowed feedstock materials,
(ii) the compost undergoes an increase in
temperature to at least 131° F (55°C) and
remains there for a minimum of 3 days, and
(iii) the compost pile is mixed or managed to ensure
that all of the feedstock heats to the minimum
temperature.
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Monitoring must be documented in the
Organic System Plan
Crop Requirements – soil fertility
• Natural mined fertility inputs are allowed.
• All synthetic fertility inputs must appear on the
National List of Allowed Substances.
• Sewage sludge (biosolids) prohibited
• AAPFCO “Organic”
NOSB Recommendation Posted
Basic Crop Requirements (continued)
• Burning crop residues is prohibited
• Must use organic seeds, if they are commercially
available for an equivalent variety
– Non-organic use must be justified for reasons of form,
quantity, or quality of seed, not price
Commercial Availability?
NOSB Recommendation Posted
• No treated seed or genetically engineered seeds.
Basic Crop Requirements (continued)
• Must use organic
seedlings for annual crops.
• Non organic planting
stock may be used for
annual crops if organically
produced stock is not
commercially available.
• Perennial crops may be
grown from non-organic
planting stock that is
managed organically for
one year prior to harvest.
Weed control: Crop rotation, field prep and
mechanical cultivation, hand weeding,
mulching with natural materials, flame
weeding, grazing livestock, mowing
Pest, Disease, Weed
Control
• For pest, weeds and disease problems – Preferred
are cultural methods; rotation, sanitation, use of
beneficial insects, traps, mulching , mowing etc.
• May only use non-synthetic biological, botanical,
or mineral inputs or substances on the National
List for pest, weed, or disease control when other
practices are insufficient.
What is the “National List” ?
• Part of the NOP regulations 7CFR 205.600.
• For Crop and Livestock, List of
“exceptions”
– all naturals are allowed, unless they listed as
prohibited
– all synthetics are prohibited, unless they are on
the list
Examples of Synthetic Substances on USDA
National List for Crops
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Soaps
Narrow range oils
Sticky traps, barriers
Coppers exempt from EPA tolerance
Hydrogen peroxide
Elemental Sulfur
Pheromones
Examples of natural substances NOT on the
National List, but ALLOWED for organic
• Pyrethrum, Rotenone, Neem extracts
No Rotenone Formulations
• Bacillus thuringiensis
No Bt var. tenenbrionis formulations
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Beauvaria bassiana
Spinosad
Limonene - and other plant extracts
Mined minerals- limestone, gypsum,
potassium sulfate
Examples of prohibited naturals that are “allowed”
with restrictions
• Sodium nitrate – prohibited unless use less
than 20% of crops nitrogen requirement
• Potassium chloride – must minimize
chloride accumulation in the soil
• Calcium chloride (brine process) except for
foliar sprays to treat disorders related to Ca
uptake
Examples of Prohibited synthetic materials that do
NOT appear on the National List
• Ammoniated fertilizers, including
ammonium nitrate, anhydrous ammonia, etc
• Urea
• Superphosphate, triple phosphate
• Calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide
• Plastic polymers used in seed pellets
How do farmers and Advisors know what products
are allowed?
• Important to check with the Certification
Agency for their approval of materials
– Some publish lists, or have policy regarding
disclosure of ingredients
– Many rely on OMRI services, but not only OMRI
• OMRI Brand Name List is available on the web,
listed products may carry a seal.
www.omri.org