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Following Exposés on Lax Import Oversight, Organic Integrity Strengthened by Enforcement Rule
(Beyond Pesticides, December 4, 2024) According to interviews conducted by Farm Progress, the U.S. organic food supply chain has been under pressure to come into compliance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s March 19, 2024, Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) final rule (See Daily News here). “We are now seeing up to 95 percent of NOP (National Organic Program) import certificates that are coming in are valid, which means that we really closed the gap on products coming into the United States without an import certificate,” says Jennifer Tucker, PhD, deputy administrator for USDA National Organic Program (NOP). “We really closed the door on illegitimate shipments.” Organic advocates welcome accountability measures to ensure the integrity of organic certification in the spirit of continuous improvement, which is regarded as a tenet of the Organic Food Production Act (OFPA). As communities and businesses across the country anticipate a change in decision-making philosophy regarding the role of federal intervention in the marketplace, environmental and public health advocates remain clear-eyed on the importance of improving the regulatory system to advance public health, biodiversity, and climate. Concerns Raised by Organic Supply Chain The National Organic Coalition, with member groups including Beyond Pesticides, summarizes the five […]
