Standards for 'Organic' Production and Labeling Finalized
By: Rob Holland
January 2001

After years of deliberation, drafts, comments, proposals and re-writes, a final "national standard" for organically-grown agricultural products has been finalized. 

The new U.S. Department of Agriculture standard defines "organic" as products that originate from farms or handling operations certified by an agency accredited by USDA.

Farms and handling operations that sell less than $5,000 worth of organic agricultural products each year are exempt from certification.

Larger farmers and handlers have 18 months to comply with the national standards.

The standards prohibit the use of genetic-engineering methods, ionizing radiation and the use of sewage sludge for fertilization. 

According to USDA, organic farming was one of the fastest-growing segments of U.S. agriculture during the 1990s. USDA estimates that the value of retail sales of organic foods in 1999 was about $6 billion.

The number of organic farmers is increasing by about 12 percent per year and now stands at about 12,200 nationwide, most of them small-scale producers. According to a recent USDA study, certified organic cropland more than doubled from 1992-1997.

The rule, along with detailed fact sheets, a list of approved certifying agencies and other background information, is available at the USDA's Web site at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop.