Understanding the USDA Organic Standards

1. Understanding the USDA Organic Standards Eric Sideman Emily Brown Rosen February, 2005

2. What Makes Organic Organic? • Practice Based Standards • Mandatory Certification • Required Organic System Plan • Use of only Approved Substances • On-Site Inspection

3. USDAAMS/NOP Accreditation Regulations NOSB Certification Agency Review Applications Enforcement Farm Inspection Farmer, Processor, etc.

4. Organic Standards for Crops • Organic System Plan • Distinct, defined buffers for landHow Big??? • Land must be free of prohibited materials for 3 years prior to harvest

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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. • Monitoring must be documented in the OrganicSystem Plan

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. Weed control: Crop rotation, field prep and mechanical cultivation, hand weeding, mulching with natural materials, flame weeding, grazing livestock, mowing

13. 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.

14. 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

15. Examples of Synthetic Substances on USDANational List for Crops • Soaps • Narrow range oils • Sticky traps, barriers • Coppers exempt from EPA tolerance • Hydrogen peroxide • Elemental Sulfur • Pheromones

16. 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 • Beauvaria bassiana • Spinosad • Limonene - and other plant extracts • Mined minerals- limestone, gypsum, potassium sulfate

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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