National Organic Program

In the earliest years of organic farming in the U.S., most of what was produced was consumed locally. In those years, it was common for the consumer to either have direct contact with the grower, or have confidence in a retailer who purchased directly from the grower. However, as the organic market began to expand in the 1970s, the supply chain lengthened. There was a greater likelihood that organic products would pass through many hands and travel many miles between the farmer and the consumer. Under such circumstances, the end buyer needed some means to confirm that the purchased product was truly organic. The organic industry addressed these needs through a process called third-party certification.

By the late 1980s, there were a number of private and state-run certifying bodies operating in the United States. Standards varied among these entities, causing problems in commerce. Certifiers often refused to recognize products certified by another agent as organic, which was a particular problem for organic livestock producers seeking feed, and for processors trying to source ingredients. In addition, a number of well-publicized incidents of fraud began to undermine the credibility of the organic industry. In an effort to curb these problems, the organic community pursued federal legislation. The result was the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, which mandated the creation of the National Organic Program (NOP) and the passage of uniform organic standards.

This week we'll take a look at the NOP.

TTFN, Fred.

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National Organic Program