Compliance and Enforcement Updates

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service sent this bulletin at 07/31/2019 03:39 PM EDT
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service national organic program organic insider

Compliance and Enforcement Updates

Recent Enforcement Actions

  • Fraudulent Organic Certificates Updated, searchable list of fraudulent organic certificates that falsely represent agricultural products as certified organic under the USDA organic regulations.
  • Suspensions and Revocations Updates on suspension, revocation and appeal decisions.
  • Settlement Agreements Summaries of settlement agreements issued to resolve proposed adverse actions and to bring a certifier or operator into full compliance in a fast and efficient manner.
  • Quarterly Report (Apr - Jun 2019) Quarterly report of incoming complaints and appeals, initial actions taken, suspensions, revocations and case dispositions in
    Q3, FY 2019.
Access the report
 

NOP Convenes Organic Imports Interagency Working Group

NOP hosted the inaugural meeting of the Organic Agricultural Product Imports Interagency Working Group in USDA’s South Building. Established by the 2018 Farm Bill, the interagency working group includes representatives from the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Participants are working on ways to increase cooperation across agencies, reporting and information sharing. The group will focus on the verification of organically produced agricultural products using new electronic data and ensuring that imports represented as organic meet the requirements.

USDA-CBP organic working group

Photo caption (L to R): Front row – NOP Deputy Administrator Jennifer Tucker; NOP Compliance and Enforcement Division Director Betsy Rakola; CBP Director, Interagency Collaboration, Trade Policy & Programs Lea-Ann B. Bigelow; Food Disclosure and Labeling Division Compliance and Enforcement Branch Chief Andrew Regalado; APHIS Director Quarantine Policy, Analysis and Support Nicole L Russo; NOP Agricultural Marketing Specialist Gustavo Ferreira; Back row – AMS Trade Systems Director Jonathan Veley; and CBP Branch Chief, One U.S. Government (1USG) Julie Stoeber.