The USDA National Organic Program has recognized the work of accredited organic certifiers with awards for extraordinary support of the National Organic Standards.
The awards were presented at the annual NOP Certifier Training for USDA-accredited organic certifiers and organic inspectors from around the world, according to a news release.
Ten certifiers were recognized for exceeding requirements for delivering high-quality data to the Organic Integrity Database in 2022. Three certifiers were also recognized with a Director’s Award for outstanding contributions to work in organic certification, the release said.
“Comprehensive, quality data is key to protecting consumer confidence and maintaining a level playing field for organic farmers, ranchers and businesses,” NOP Deputy Administrator Jennifer Tucker said in the release. “Timely data provide critical insight into an organic operation’s activities. This, combined with increased reporting requirements coming through the Strengthening Organic Enforcement final rule and USDA organic seal trademark, continue to raise the cost of fraud in the organic marketplace.”
Up-to-date public information about organic operations helps buyers and sellers find each other in the marketplace, making data an important market development tool, the release said. The USDA Organic Integrity Database allows anyone to look up the status of a certified organic operation and see the products that each farm and business has to offer.
The fifth-annual Investing in INTEGRITY Data Quality Award winners are:
- ACO Certification Ltd. (ACO) — Queensland, Australia
- Aus-Qual Pty. Ltd. (AUS-QUAL) — Queensland, Australia
- Bio Latina S.A.C. (BIOL) — Lima, Peru
- CCOF Certification Services LLC (CCOF) — Santa Cruz, Calif.
- Certificadora Mexicana de Productos y Procesos Ecologicos SC (CMEX) — Oaxaca, Mexico
- IMOcert Latinoamerica LTDA (IMOcert) — Cochabamba, Bolivia
- Marin Organic Certified Agriculture (MOCA) — Novato, Calif.
- New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food (NHDAMF) — Concord, N.H.
- Primus Auditing Operations (PAO) — Santa Maria, Calif.
- Yolo County Department of Agriculture (YDA) — Woodland, Calif.
Exceeding Data Requirements
The federal organic regulations require that certifiers annually submit information about certified operations to the Organic Integrity Database. The database also includes many optional fields, like acreage and headcount for cattle or poultry, that can aid in oversight, the release said. The Strengthening Organic Enforcement final rule published Jan. 19, 2023, increases accreditation and certification oversight in part through additional reporting and training requirements for certifiers and inspectors. The new rule will be fully implemented in March 2024.
The 10 certifiers recognized significantly exceeded the minimum requirements by supplying additional detail on their certified operations and submitting updates on a rolling basis throughout the year.
Over the past year, three certifiers also stood out for their consistent, effective communication and collaboration with NOP staff on a wide range of issues and day-to-day operations, including fraud investigations, the release said.
For their outstanding contributions to work in organic certification, the 2023 National Organic Program Director’s Award winners are:
- CCOF Certification Services LLC (CCOF) — Santa Cruz, Calif.
- Midwest Organic Services Association, Inc. (MOSA) — Viroqua, Wis.
- Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO) — Spring Mills, Pa.
Organic Oversight
NOP develops and enforces voluntary standards for organically produced agricultural products sold in the U.S.
Congress established NOP as a regulatory program that operates as a public-private partnership with 75 third-party accredited certifiers playing a key role in hands-on oversight of every USDA-certified organic farm and business worldwide, the release said.
More information on organic enforcement and oversight is available on the NOP website at ams.usda.gov/organic.
