Organic groups in the United States have welcomed major amendments to the country’s organic regulations contained in the Strengthening Organic Enforcement Rule, which was published by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week. The new regulation aims to strengthen oversight and enforcement of organic production and sales, protect organic integrity and deter fraud.
The National Organic Coalition said the new regulation amounted to a “massive rewrite” of US organic regulations.
“NOC applauds the USDA for their sustained work to bring this rule to completion,” said Abby Youngblood executive director at the National Organic Coalition.“Organic producers’ livelihoods depend on strong and consistent enforcement of organic regulations. For more than a decade, operations have been undercut by fraudulent products that have no business carrying the organic seal. NOC strongly supports provisions in this rule that will give USDA and certification agencies more authority to crack down on bad actors.”
“For more than a decade, operations have been undercut by fraudulent products that have no business carrying the organic seal. NOC strongly supports provisions in this rule that will give USDA and certification agencies more authority to crack down on bad actors”
The Organic Trade Association said the regulation would have “significant and far-reaching impacts on the organic sector and will do much to deter and detect organic fraud and protect organic integrity throughout the supply chain”.
The OTA said the new regulation represented the biggest change to organic regulations since the creation of USDA’s National Organic Program. “The rule closes gaps in current organic regulations and builds consistent certification practices to prevent fraud and improve the transparency and traceability of organic products. Fraud in the organic system – wherever it occurs – harms the entire organic sector and shakes the trust of consumers in organic.”
Full implementation of the new regulation will start in March 2024.