New Course and Microlearnings: NOP People, Processes, and Policy

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service national organic program organic insider

New Course and Microlearnings

NOP People, Processes, and Policy

Understanding the Program and the National List

The National Organic Program (NOP) launched a new course in the Organic Integrity Learning Center, NOP-300 NOP People, Processes, and Policy. This course teaches organic stakeholders about NOP structure, its functions and how the program collaborates with the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to protect the integrity of the organic market. 

Organic farmers use natural materials and take a systems approach to protect natural resources, biodiversity, and soil and water quality. Organic production is inherently non-GMO, science-based, climate-smart agriculture. NOP develops and enforces consistent national standards for organically produced agricultural products sold in the United States. Established by Congress as a public-private partnership, NOP accredits and oversees third-party certifiers who inspect, certify, and oversee organic farms and businesses. 

NOP also supports the NOSB, a federal advisory committee that reviews petitions, receives direct feedback from organic stakeholders and makes formal recommendations to inform USDA policy decisions on issues involving organic agricultural products. Many hands work to continuously strengthen farmer and consumer trust in the USDA organic label. 

Related Microlearnings

NOP-997: Introduction to the National List 

The National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) fosters transparency about what substances may be used in organic production. 

Target audience: farmers, handlers, and entrepreneurs considering starting or transitioning to organic operations. 

NOP-997: The Petition Process for Requesting Changes to the National List 

NOP staff work closely with stakeholders and the NOSB to manage the petition process, part of the USDA organic regulations that explains how changes to the National List can be made. This microlearning introduces the petition process, eligibility requirements, and review criteria. 

Target audience: organic farmers, organic food producers and processors, and stakeholder organizations interested in the National List. 

Self-Enrolling in Learning Center Courses

Getting Started

How to Register for a Course

Once logged into the USDA AMS National Organic Program, Organic Integrity Learning Center, signing up for a course is like buying a product at an online store, but all training is free.

To register for an NOP course in the Organic Integrity Learning Center, follow these steps:

  1. Click on Register for Course in the menu.
  2. Available courses in the program will appear.
  3. Click the green Register button for each desired course.
  4. The green button will change to a blue button that says "Added to Cart."
  5. You will see a shopping cart with the number of courses selected.
  6. Click the link that says Proceed to Checkout. Note: The tuition is $0 – All training in the Learning Center is free!
  7. A list of the courses you've selected will appear. To confirm enrollment, select the green Confirm button.
  8. Go to your Dashboard to launch the course.
  9. Click on the course title from the list of Active Courses.

Need more? Access more detailed instructions with screen-shots

Notes:

  • Once you have completed a course, it will appear under the list of Completed Courses.
  • To access all completed course content, register for the National Organic Program Training Archive course to review (read-only) material from all OILC courses.

Learning Center Course Offerings

OILC Course Offerings

Click image to view course list.