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You are here: Home / Organic Production / Standards and Certification 
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Organic Production

USDA Organic Seal
USDA's National Organic Program Final Rule of the Organic Foods Production Act defined the term "organic" and set standards for U.S. production and handling of agricultural products.
AFSIC Highlights
Large baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables at the USDA FarmerOrganic Agricultural Products: Marketing and Trade Resources
USDA. NAL. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
The Guide to U.S. Organic Marketing: Laws and Regulations and Guide to International Trade in Organics: Laws and Regulations cover U.S. Federal and State laws and regulations, U.S. organic standards, food labeling, regulatory issues and programs, food safety and international regulations and trade issues.
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Information from Other Sources
National Organic Program
USDA. Agricultural Marketing Service.
Provides access to Program Standards, information on trade issues, materials on certification including a listing of USDA accredited certifying agents, resources for producers, handlers, processors and retailers and consumer information regarding organic production.
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Organic Farming: Organic Regulation, Certification, Transition and History
National Center for Appropriate Technology. ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
Links to ATTRA's resources that help producers and handlers prepare for organic certification. Provides an overview of the National Organic Program, outlines the organic certification and inspection processes, and discusses specific requirements in detail. Includes workbooks, checklists, documentation forms and sample letters.
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Organic Trade Association
Organic Trade Association.
Promotes the benefits of organic trade to producers, consumers and the economy. Discusses organic standards and certification processes. Offers resources for the organic industry including The Organic Pages Online, a comprehensive directory of certified organic products and services.
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Reading Rooms: National Organic Program
National Center for Agricultural Law Research and Information.
Site includes Congressional Service Reports and references to statutes, regulations and other government information relevant to organic agricultural production.
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The New Farm Guide to US Organic Certifiers
Rodale Institute.
Database of U.S. and international organic certifiers. Browse organizations or associations, search by many certifier attributes, compare certifers, read profiles or join an online forum.
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Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)
Organic Materials Review Institute.
Reviews "products intended for use in certified organic production, handling, and processing." Produces the OMRI Products List and the OMRI Certified Organic Seed and Planting Stock List.
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Organic Agriculture at FAO
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Contains organic agriculture resources available from FAO. Includes production information for various countries, full-text documents, bibliographies, Web links, a list of electronic discussion forums, an events calendar and searchable databases of organic agriculture citations and photographs and videos. [Spanish] [French]
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International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.
IFOAM is the "worldwide umbrella organisation of the organic agriculture movement" whose members represent about 105 countries. Includes resources on international organic standards and certification.
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Codex Alimentarius - Organically Produced Foods
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); World Health Organization.
The Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods are "intended to guide and promote the elaboration and establishment of definitions and requirements for foods, to assist in their harmonization and, in doing so, to facilitate international trade."
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Last Modified: Oct 29, 2008  
Organic Production
  Organic Culture: Crops and Gardening
  Organic Livestock
  Standards and Certification
  USDA Programs
See Also
  USDA Web Resource - Organic Certification
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