Because reimbursement under the federal organic certification cost-share program has stalled, several Vermont farms and processors are opting out of recertifying as organic this year.
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Because reimbursement under the federal organic certification cost-share program has stalled, several Vermont farms and processors are opting out of recertifying as organic this year.
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This move — made without industry input and without consultation of the National Organic Standards Board — undermines the transparency and collaborative process that the organic community relies on to develop clear, consistent standards.
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A very concerning development, especially since this could be done virtually at almost no expense. No new date has been given.
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The European Court of Justice issued a judgment concerning the labeling of organic products and the use of the EU organic label, something that could have lasting implications for trade into the EU market under the U.S./EU organic equivalence agreement.
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The topics addressed by the rule include mushroom substrate composition and labeling requirements for organic pet food.
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According to an analysis by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), more than 7 in 10 organic producer groups globally will need to change their structure to maintain their certification.
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The watchdog group contends that Sunrise Organic Dairy and Deelstra Dairy — certified by Oregon Tilth and the Idaho Department of Agriculture, respectively — are operating Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), a violation of organic rules.
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In its weekend letter this past Sunday, Real Organic Project accused the Organic Trade Association of attempting to discredit Hugh Kent, owner of King Grove Organic Farm in Florida, after his appearance in a segment by a local CBS affiliate.
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Rarely covered by the mainstream media, a CBS affiliate in Orlando did a story on the most controversial issue in the organic food industry.
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There is a reason that USDA certified organic fish does not exist — because controlling the inputs is so difficult.
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The watchdog organization has filed a formal request with the USDA Office of Inspector General to investigate the National Organic Program.
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Since 2019, more than half of these complaint investigations have resulted in compliance, and a small amount resulted in civil penalties.
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USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack just announced new programs, partnerships, grant awards and an additional $10 million in funding to expand the markets for organic products and help producers transition to organic production.
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Cornucopia’s play-by-play of the recent NOSB meeting in Wisconsin covered the Strengthening Organic Enforcement rollout, organic seed supply issues and a discussion on compost. More to come on this.
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The new SOE rule has gone into effect, but there is still plenty of confusion and uncertaintly.
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After having filed a legal complaint against CCOF, OrganicEye is now targeting a second organic certifier for improprieties, alleging that Oregon Tilth has received contributions, conference sponsorships and other payments over and above certification fees from operations that it oversees.
Read Article There’s growing concern that many in the organic food industry — importers, brokers, handlers and distributors — haven’t made the necessary compliance changes.
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Last fall, we provided extensive coverage on the grower group lawsuit against the USDA, and there has been some movement on the case as of late. Representing eight organic stakeholders, Center for Food Safety recently filed a “friend of the court” amicus brief in support of grower group certification. OrganicEye, which sits on the other side of the case, responded to this action and shared a possible compromise.
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Going into effect on March 19th, the new rule calls for the implementation of more rigorous certification practices for various types of businesses, including key links in the organic supply chain.
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A very unfortunate casualty of lawmakers voting down a bill that would have provided about $220,000 to the state’s department of agriculture.
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The Soil Association, a British organization that certifies food in the UK as organic, has been accused of misleading consumers over its labeling of Scottish farmed salmon.
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IFOAM – Organics International remains extremely concerned about the litigation against the USDA, something we covered in great detail here and here.
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OrganicEye has (1) requested the USDA Office of Inspector General investigate the National Organic Program and (2) filed a formal legal complaint against CCOF, documenting hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of contributions, advertising purchases, conference sponsorships and other payments over and above certification fees.
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To spur consumer confidence and feed the continued growth of its state farmers, the PA Preferred Organic™ label will meet both USDA organic standards and that of its own program.
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