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Origin of Livestock
Information Collection Notice
Request for Public Comments
Reporting and recordkeeping are essential to the integrity of the organic certification system. Information collected is the basis for evaluating certifier and operation compliance with the Organic Foods Production Act and USDA organic regulations. In general, compliance with USDA organic regulations requires certain types of information on certifiers and certified operations to be collected and maintained by USDA.
NOP today published a Federal Register Notice requesting public input on the information collection requirements created by the Origin of Livestock final rule. The final rule clarified that organic dairy operations may transition nonorganic animals to organic production once—after that, any animals added to an operation must have been organically managed from the last third of gestation. To provide flexibility, the final rule allows small, certified operations to request a variance from the rule’s one-time transition requirement under limited conditions.
NOP is seeking public comment on the burdens, costs, and other effects of the information collection required by the final rule, which adds a process by which organic operations may request a variance, or exception, from certain livestock sourcing requirements. Online comments are encouraged. Information on how to submit comments can be found on Regulations.gov, and by clicking the link below. The 60-day comment period will close on June 26, 2023.
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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Webinar on NRCS Support for Organic Transition
May 22, 2023 2:00 pm US/Eastern
Join USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for a webinar discussing new opportunities for NRCS to support producers in the transition to organic. This webinar will discuss the USDA’s Organic Transition Initiative and NRCS’s role in supporting producers in transitioning to organic. The new Organic Management Interim Conservation Practice Standard (823) will be highlighted, including technical and financial assistance for producers transitioning to organic and wanting to improve soil health, reduce erosion, improve plant productivity and health, reduce plant pressure, and more.
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New Report from USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) Delivers Updates on Organic Production, Markets, Consumers and Policy
Consumer demand for organically produced products has driven an expansion in U.S. organic production since 2000. The premiums paid by consumers provide farmers the opportunity to recover the costs of production and improve their financial well-being. This report describes important U.S. organic policy initiatives since 2000 and examines the importance of investment in research on organic practices. The report also investigates key components of organic supply chains—including production; certification; farm-level costs; and returns, wholesale markets, and industry structure—along with the evolving characteristics of organic food consumers and retail markets.
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