Jennifer Tucker, Ph.D. 

Deputy Administrator

April 2019
75 Certified Organic Farms & Businesses in Seattle

1,417 in Washington State

Welcome to Seattle! 
NOP 2018 Count of Certified Operations

43,004

Total

• 4.4% Increase 

from 2017

27,494

United States

• >1,000 Increase

15,510

International

• 713 Increase

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 3
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 4

• Organic Food Production Act 

• USDA Organic Regulations 

• Facts and Evidence 

We Regulate Based on the 

Rules and Facts 
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 5

4

3

2

1 Strong Organic 

Control Systems 

Trusted People, 

Processes, and Rules

Farm to Market 

Traceability 

Worldwide Supply 

Chain Integrity 

Robust

Enforcement 

A Level Playing 

Field for All 

Support the Standards; 

Collaborate with Community

Engagement and 

Transparency

NOP Priorities
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 6

• Program Updates

• Farm Bill 

• Call for Board Nominations 

• Organic Imports - Risk-Based Oversight 

• Dairy Compliance Project 

• Strengthening Organic Enforcement - Proposed Rule 

• Organic Integrity Learning Center – Launch!

• INTEGRITY Data Quality Awards!

Update Topics 
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Program 

Updates: 

Origin of 

Livestock 
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 8

• Final Rule - Published Dec 27, 2018

35 changes, MOST changes effective Jan 28, 2019 

• Final Rule – In Clearance 

Fall 2017 NOSB recommendations 

Sulfur, potassium acid tartrate

• Proposed Rule – Comments Closed April 16

Spring 2018 NOSB recommendations 

Sulfur, polyoxin D zinc salt, magnesium chloride

Program Updates: National List
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 9

In Development

• 2019 Sunset Material Renewals, Federal Register Notice 

Expected publication Summer 2019

• 2019 Sunset Material Removals 

Recommendations under review

• Proposed Rule

Fall 2018 NOSB recommendations 

Natamycin, tamarind seed gum

Expected publication Fall 2019

Program Updates: National List
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 10

COMPLIANCE

ACCREDIT INTEGRITY

New Database Launched in March

• Powerful Analytical Tools 

• Better Customer Communication

• More Tracking for Investigative 

Reports, Corrective Actions 

from Violators

Program Updates: COMPLIANCE Database
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 11

• New NOP Leadership and Staff

– Associate Deputy 

Administrator

– Trade Systems Director 

– Accreditation Manager 

– Quality Manager 

• Upcoming Announcements: USAJobs.gov 

– Livestock Compliance Specialists (Washington DC)

– Remote Accreditation Auditors (Anywhere) 

Program Updates: Staffing 
Happy Administrative 

Professional’s Day! 

Joan Avila

National Organic Program 

Jeanne Gonzales

Georgia Crop Improvement 

Association 
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 13

Strengthening 

Organic 

Enforcement Rule

Eliminating 

Exclusions 

Import 

Certificates

Certifier Office 

Oversight 

Collaboration 

Working Group: 

Customs and 

Border 

Protection 

(CBP),USDA 

Animal and 

Plant Health 

Inspection 

Service

Technology 

Organic Import 

Certificates in 

CBP System

System Access 

& Reporting 

(Data and 

Agreements) 

Visioning Global 

Organic 

Oversight 

System 

National Organic 

Standards Board 

Adjust 

Nomination 

Categories 

National List 

Management 

Farm Bill: Crossing All NOP Priority Areas
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 14

Nominations due May 20, 2019

Announced in Federal Register/Insider, March 19

• Five vacancies

– 1: Expertise in environmental protection & resource conservation 

– 1: Owns/operates or employee of an organic farming operation

– 2: Owns/operate or employee of an organic handling operation 

– 1: Owns/operates or employee of a retail establishment 

with significant trade in organic products

• Flyer Out Front! AND, see NOSB website – Nomination Process

Call for Board Nominations
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 15

Farm-Level 

Yield Analysis

Supply Chain 

Research

Fumigation 

Investigations 

(With APHIS 

at Ports)

Ship-Specific 

Surveillance

Certifier 

Investigations

CountryCommodity 

Studies

Organic Imports Oversight: Risk-Based Oversight 
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 16

• As a result of new directives on unannounced inspections & residue/GMO testing

– 180 Operations (60%) in the Black Sea Region have lost certification

– Continued scrutiny of the remaining certified operations 

• Impact: Reduced Organic Grain and Oilseed Imports from Black Sea/Turkey

– In 2016, represented 49% (dollar value of these imports)

– In 2018, represented 21%

• Fumigation: Increased Importer Awareness & Partnership with APHIS

– Not sold as organic (relabeled)

• Noncompliances, Proposed Suspensions for Certifiers, Farms 

Organic Imports Oversight: Successes
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 17

Process 

Players:

oAMS Auditors 

oNOP Compliance Specialists

oOffice of Inspector General 

oUSDA Animal Plant Health 

Inspection Services

oCertifiers 

• Unannounced Visits

oNationwide

oSingle and multi-day 

• 2019 visits start this week! 

Policy Outcomes

Training Needs: 

• Defining the regional 

grazing season 

• Reviewing justifications 

for breaks in the grazing 

season

• Crop rotations and 

natural resource 

management

• Access to shade, water 

source

Compliance 

Outcomes

All Operations:

oDemonstrated at least 120 

days of grazing

oAll cows got 30% DMI from 

pasture in season 

oSome operations had other 

correctable issues

• Where supported by the 

evidence, investigations 

are ongoing (ops/certifier)

• Civil penalty levied against 

a livestock operation

Dairy Compliance Project: Year 1 Report-Out
Proposed Rule and Public Comments: Fall 2019 

• Accepting Foreign Conformity Assessment 

Systems (International Oversight)

• Compliance—General

• Noncompliance Procedure for Certified 

Operations

• Mediation

• Adverse Actions – General, Appeals 

• Producer Group Operations

• Calculating the Percentage of Organically 

Produced Ingredients

• Supply Chain Traceability and Organic 

Fraud Prevention

• Applicability & Exemptions from 

Certification (Excluded Handlers)

• Imports to U.S. (Import Certificates)

• Labeling of Nonretail Containers

• On-Site Inspections (Unannounced)

• Certificates of Organic Operations

• Continuation of Certification 

(Certificate Expirations)

• Paperwork Submissions to the 

Administrator

• Personnel Training and Qualifications

• Oversight of Certification Activities 

(Certifier Office Oversight)

Strengthening Organic Enforcement 
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 19

Organic Integrity Learning Center 

Free online training that supports the 

professional development & continuing education 

of professionals working to protect organic integrity

Qualified and 

Trained Organic 

Professionals

Strong 

Control 

Systems 

Fair, 

Consistent 

Certification 

Organic 

Integrity

Now Available 
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 20

Training Center is Live!

NOP Assigns Accounts Audience: Organic certifiers, inspectors & 

reviewers, compliance and enforcement professionals

Certifiers

Primary and Secondary Contacts Enrolled by NOP

Certifiers responsible for outreach to staff 

Public Sign-Up Process 

Individual or Group Requests to USDA-NOP@apvit.com;

- User Name, First Name, Last Name, Organization, Email 

Organic Integrity Learning Center 
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 21

• Develop More Courses

– Dairy Compliance 

– Traceability Techniques 

– Advanced Inspections 

– Materials Reviews 

– Certification Administration 

– Sampling and Testing 

• Deepen Assessments 

Organic Integrity Learning Center – Next Steps 
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 22

• Protecting organic integrity requires accurate and timely data

• Data management is often invisible labor

• Organic Integrity Database Data Quality Dashboard

– Makes data labor visible 

– Shows certifiers strengths and weaknesses in their data 

• Investing in INTEGRITY Awards

– Based on data quality and quantity at the start of 2019

– Examples: Regular data updates, use of product taxonomy, 

including acreage and livestock counts, complete information

Investing in Data Integrity 
• California Certified Organic Farmers 

• Colorado Department of Agriculture

• County of Marin Organic Certified 

Agriculture

• Georgia Crop Improvement Association 

• Global Organic Alliance

• New Mexico Department of Agriculture

• One-Cert, Incorporated 

• Primus Labs

“Investing in INTEGRITY” Winners!
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service | National Organic Program 24

4

3

2

1 Strong Organic 

Control Systems 

Trusted People, 

Processes, and Rules

Farm to Market 

Traceability 

Worldwide Supply 

Chain Integrity 

Robust

Enforcement 

A Level Playing 

Field for All 

Support the Standards; 

Collaborate with Community

Engagement and 

Transparency

Questions?