Certified Organic

What the USDA Standards Mean to Consumers

By Lyn Mettler

Organic foods are more popular than ever. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the industry is growing by 20 to 25 percent every year with annual sales in 2000 topping out at $7.8 billion.

As more and more consumers flock to the shelves to bring organic foods into their home, do they really know what they're getting? A new government certification and labeling system will make sure that they do.

A few years ago, the USDA implemented the first-ever National Organic Standards, regulating what manufacturers can call "organic" and offering a voluntary labeling system to inform customers how much of the product they're buying is actually organic. "For the first time, there's a consistent national definition of what it means to be organic," says Barbara Robinson, deputy administrator for the Agricultural Marketing Service, a division of the USDA charged with overseeing the new program.

How does something become certified "organic"? The process begins with a farm applying for "organic" certification from a certifying agent, a private entity chosen by the government to certify farms according to the new standards. The certifying agent, for a fee, must then verify through appropriate paperwork and a site visit that the entire farm operates according to government standards, such as prohibiting genetic engineering and irradiation and feeding livestock 100-percent organic feed. Once a farm is certified, it is good for life, but subject to annual reviews.

The farm may then go on to produce its own products – let's say wheat as an example – or it may sell its wheat to another company who uses it as an ingredient in cereal. Here's where the labeling process comes in.

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