1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Room 2648-S, STOP 0268

Washington, D.C. 20250-0268

REVOCATION OF CERTIFICATION

October 5, 2017 Via Registered Email

Goksal Beyaz,

GZ Tarim Ürünleri Tic. Ltd. Sti.

Budak Mah 10031 Nolu Sok No 42 

Merkezi Kat 10 D 1016 1017 

27090 Sehitkamil, Gaziantep

Turkey

goksal.beyaz@beyazagro.com

Dear Mr. Beyaz:

This is a Notice of Revocation of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National 

Organic Program (NOP) of GZ Tarim Ürünleri Tic. Ltd. Sti. (GZ Tarim). On August 22, 2017, 

the NOP issued a Notice of Proposed Revocation to GZ Tarim. The proposed revocation was 

based on the fact that GZ Tarim is responsibly connected to Beyaz Agro, which is a revoked 

operation. You confirmed receipt of the Notice on August 25, 2017. You did not file an appeal 

with the NOP within 30 days of receipt. Because GZ Tarim has not appealed the NOP’s August 

22, 2017 Notice of Proposed Revocation, GZ Tarim’s organic certification is hereby revoked.

Section 2120 of the OFPA (7 U.S.C. § 6519(c)) and 7 C.F.R. §§ 205.660(b)(1) and 205.662(a) 

and (f)(2) authorize the NOP’s program manager to order revocation of the certification of a 

certified operation and all of its responsibly connected persons, including any other person who 

is a partner, officer, director, holder, manager or owner of 10 percent or more of the voting stock 

of said operation, if an inspection, review, or investigation of the certified operation reveals any 

noncompliance with the OFPA. Additionally, section 205.662(f)(2) of the regulations states that 

a certified operation or a person responsibly connected with an operation whose certification has 

been revoked will be ineligible to receive certification for a period of 5 years following the date 

of such revocation. GZ Tarim is a certified organic operation and therefore is in full knowledge 

of the requirements of the USDA organic regulations. 

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

On June 1, 2017, the NOP notified you that we had revoked the USDA organic certification of 

Beyaz Agro due to knowing and willful representation of non-organic, fumigated soybeans for 

sale as organic in the United States. You, Goksal Beyaz, are the CEO for Beyaz Agro. 

Therefore, you are a responsibly connected party to a revoked operation. Per the official Turkish
Revocation of USDA Organic Certification, GZ Tarim Page 2

business license, you are also the founder of GZ Tarim, making you a responsibly connected 

party to that operation. 

As further evidence of your responsible connection to GZ Tarim, your name and/or signature 

also appears on numerous certification documents for GZ Tarim. The following documents were 

either submitted to and/or issued by BCS Kiwa, a USDA-accredited organic certifier. 

1. Application for organic certification, signed by you on May 19, 2016 and naming you as 

the owner of GZ Tarim.

2. Certification contract with BCS-Kiwa, signed by you on June 7, 2016. 

3. Operator’s declaration, including an agreement to comply with all measures of the USDA 

organic production and handling requirements, signed by you on June 27, 2016.

4. Inspection report, signed by you on July 17, 2016.

5. Letter from BCS communicating the results of your inspection, addressed to “Mr. Beyaz” 

at the address listed above, dated September 29, 2016.

6. Organic System Plan for Export, signed by you on June 27, 2017 and again with an 

update to BCS-Kiwa on March 16, 2017.

In addition, GZ Tarim’s inspection report from July 13-17, 2016 names you as the person 

involved in the inspection. The inspection report also states that the activities/inspected areas of 

the operation are sub-contracted storage facilities of Hakan Gida Ltd. and Beyaz Agro 

Furthermore, BCS’ certification documents show the same physical address for both Beyaz Agro

and GZ Tarim. 

REVOCATION OF ORGANIC CERTIFICATION, BEYAZ AGRO

On April 28, 2017, the NOP issued Beyaz Agro a combined Notice of Noncompliance and 

Proposed Revocation due to Beyaz Agro’s knowing and willful violations of the USDA organic 

regulations. Per its May 29 and May 30, 2017, communications to the NOP, Beyaz Agro did not 

appeal the proposed revocation. Beyaz Agro’s USDA organic certification was then revoked, in 

accordance with 7 C.F.R. § 205.662(f)(2). Beyaz Agro and all of its responsibly connected 

persons, including any other person who is a partner, officer, director, holder, manager or owner 

of 10 percent or more of the voting stock, were thereby directed to cease and desist all sale and 

handling of products represented as organic. 

REVOCATION OF ORGANIC CERTIFICATION, GZ TARIM

As outlined above, GZ Tarim is considered a responsibly connected person to Beyaz Agro. You 

are the founder of GZ Tarim and the CEO of Beyaz Agro. Therefore, GZ Tarim’s USDA 

organic certification is hereby revoked, in accordance with 7 C.F.R. § 205.662 (f)(2) GZ Tarim 

and all of its responsibly connected persons, including any other person who is a partner, officer,

director, holder, manager or owner of 10 percent or more of the voting stock, are hereby directed 

to cease and desist all sale and handling of products represented as organic. 
Revocation of USDA Organic Certification, GZ Tarim Page 3

Be advised that failure to cease and desist, and comply with the USDA organic regulations, may 

result in a civil penalty of $11,000 per violation (7 U.S.C. § 6519).

GZ Tarim’s certification status will be updated shortly in the NOP’s online Organic Integrity 

Database to reflect the revocation. 

Sincerely,

Jennifer Tucker, Ph.D. 

Associate Deputy Administrator

National Organic Program

cc: NOP Accreditation and International Activities Division 

NOPACAAdverseActions@ams.usda.gov 

Tobias Fischer – KIWA-BCS, Tobias.Fischer@bcs-oeko.de