(This is a special alert for premium Organic Insider subscribers only.)
Paper pots are an incredibly useful and important tool for small and mid-sized organic farmers across the country, and had they been declared illegal, the organic industry could have faced an exodus of farmers from the National Organic Program.
Yesterday, the USDA announced that paper pots will be allowed in organic until further notice, wiping away the December 2018 deadline that had been set earlier this year.
In last week’s recap of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting in Minnesota, we wrote about how the NOSB recommended that the USDA extend this December 2018 deadline, so that it could have more time to study the synthetic adhesive in paper pots. Fortunately, the USDA accepted the NOSB’s recommendation.
Even though paper pots are not as high profile of an issue as hydroponics or fraudulent imports from abroad, the loss of paper pots in organic might have had disastrous consequences for our industry, particularly for the small and mid-sized farmers who so greatly depend on them.
Needless to say, this is a fantastic development for organic, and the well-being of small organic farmers appears to have been taken into consideration in arriving at this decision. Finally.
As more information becomes available about the legality of paper pots, we will keep you informed.
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Have a great day! 
Max Goldberg, Founder |
