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FACTSHEET
2023
S . O . E .
STRENGTHENING ORGANIC ENFORCEMENT
How the new rule will affect transitioning & organic farmers
ISSUE OVERVIEW:
Records must be maintained and kept that verify the
The Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule, is a
significant
improvement
to
the
USDA
organic
regulations. All operations will need to be in full
compliance by March 2024. Spurred by a few highprofile cases of fraudulent organic sales, this new
regulation closes many loopholes and seeks to enhance
the quality of organic audits and oversight. Organic
farmers will see these changes in the certification
process and the organic supply chain, as well as being
required to do their part in the prevention of fraud.
organic status throughout the growing season, the life of
the animal, or any movement of crops or animals (offfarm storage or custom heifer pasturing for instance).
Proof of organic certification of the last entity in the
supply chain before the farmer received that product,
must be kept, as well as the farmer providing their
organic status when the product is sold. The point of this
requirement is to keep every link in the supply chain
transparent and traceable. For bulk products, the name
of the most recent certified organic operation that
owned/and or handled that product, must be present on
the documentation that goes with that bulk item.
NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR
FARMERS
Organic farmers are required under the new regulation
to do their part to deter and detect fraud in the supply
chain. All organic operations, including farmers, must
have a fraud prevention plan in their Organic System
Plan (OSP).
All on-farm inspections will now include a traceability
audit which shows the organic status from purchase or
growing through sale and a balance audit which tracks
that enough organic product was present or produced to
justify the volumes of final organic product sold. This
would include enough approved seed to grow a crop,
enough organic feed purchased for the number of
animals on the farm, or enough acreage with reasonable
Certifiers are now reviewing the OSPs they provide
yields for the number of bushels or boxes sold.
their farmer clients and will be adding a new section
where the farmer will describe what systems they have
in place to verify and prove the organic status of all
purchased organic labeled feedstuffs, seeds, livestock or
other items used to produce their own organically
labeled products.
PO Box 709 . Spirit Lake, Iowa 51360 . Info@OrganicFarmersAssociation.org
www.OrganicFarmersAssociation.org
New Recordkeeping
for Farmers
Strengthening Organic Enforcement Act
NEW OSP SECTION:
Proof of Organic Status of all
Purchased Organic Inputs
Description of systems in place to verify and
prove the organic status of all purchased
organic labeled feedstuffs, seeds, livestock
or other items used to produce your own
organically labeled products.
NEW RECORDS: Bulk Products
The name of the most recent certified
organic operation that owned/and or
handled that product, must be present on
the documentation that goes with that bulk
item.
NEW RECORDS: Organic Status
through Growing Season/
Animal Life
NEW INSPECTION AUDITS:
Traceability of Products & Balancing
Records must verify the organic status
throughout the growing season, the life of
the animal, or any movement of crops or
animals.
Annual inspections will include a traceability
audit where farms must demonstrate the
organic status from purchase or growing
through sale.
NEW RECORDS: Organic Status of
Last Entity in Supply Chain
Proof of organic certification of the last
entity in the supply chain before the farmer
received that product. The farmer must
also provide their organic status when the
product is sold.
Inspectors will also conduct a balance audit
to prove that enough organic product was
present or produced to justify the volumes of
final organic product sold. This would include
enough seed to grow a crop, enough organic
feed purchased for the number of animals on
the farm, or enough acreage & yields for the
number of bushels or boxes sold.
ORGANIC
ORGANIC
ORGANIC
This factsheet was supported through the USDA TOPP Program of the
USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).