The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is a U.S. 

Department of Agriculture Federal Advisory Board comprised 

of dedicated public volunteers from the organic community. 

Established by the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) and 

governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the 

NOSB provides recommendations on the implementation of 

the OFPA and USDA organic regulations. 

The NOSB is comprised of 15 volunteers from across the 

organic community: four organic farmers/growers, three 

environmental/resource conservationists, three consumer/

public interest representatives, two organic handlers/

processors, one retailer, one scientist (toxicology, ecology or 

biochemistry), and one USDA accredited certifying agent. 

Each NOSB member is appointed by the U.S. Secretary of 

Agriculture for a five-year term.

Serving on the NOSB requires a significant commitment of 

time and effort. Each NOSB member sits on several 

subcommittees and attends many subcommittee calls each 

month; attends two in - person NOSB meetings per year; 

reviews materials and recommends changes to the National 

List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances; and advises the 

Secretary on the OFPA and other aspects of USDA organic 

regulations. 

NOSB subcommittees discuss specific work agenda topics and 

develop discussion papers and proposals which are presented 

to the full Board and the general public. The NOSB meets 

regularly to discuss proposals, listen to comments and 

testimony, and vote on recommendations for the Secretary of 

Agriculture. 

National Organic Standards Board

United States Department of Agriculture

The Agricultural Marketing Service’s National Organic Program 

(NOP) manages the work of the NOSB, and provides technical 

and administrative staff and resources to support its work.

The impact of the NOSB work is significant. The NOSB 

considers and makes recommendations on a wide range of 

issues involving the production, handling, and processing of 

organic products. The NOSB also has special responsibilities 

related to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited 

Substances.

The NOSB actively encourages public participation in meetings 

and the comment process. NOSB meetings are open to the 

public and meeting agendas are published in the Federal 

Register. Approximately four weeks before each NOSB 

meeting, members of the public may submit written 

comments or sign up to deliver oral comments. To help 

facilitate public attendance, NOSB meetings are held in 

different parts of the country.

For those interested in serving on the NOSB, the 5-year terms 

of service are staggered among the 15 members. Terms begin 

in January of any given year. As such, the Call for Nominations 

for new members is usually issued in the spring. More 

information on the application process is available at http://

www.ams.usda.gov/NOSBNominationProcess

Visit the AMS National Organic Standards Board homepage at 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/nosb or contact:

Agricultural Marketing Service National Organic Program

1400 Independence Avenue SW

Room 2646; Stop 0268

Washington, DC 20250

Phone: 202-720-3252

USDA NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM, Agricultural Marketing Service June 2015

USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

Who Serves on the NOSB?

To Learn More

How Can I Get Involved?

What are the Duties of the NOSB Members?