We assisted organic US-based certifiers who inspect over half of the organic farms in the country with updating their Organic System Plans (OSPs), in order to help them comply with the NOP Natural Resources and Biodiversity Conservation Guidance. We also conducted 5 organic inspector trainings on biodiversity guidance. In order to understand the current status of compliance with the NOP Guidance, we assessed these certifiers' Organic System Plans (farm questionnaires). Click here to download the OSP report and read our recommendations. 

WFA works to eliminate the incentive to convert Native Ecosystems/High Conservation Value Areas to organic production. We encouraged the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to publish a Discussion Document on this subject for their April 2017 meeting. Over 450 public comments weighed in on this issue, with WFA in the lead.  The NOSB released a proposed rule change using the term "Native Ecosystems." WFA and our partners submitted 350 comments on how to improve the language by defining native ecosystems and fixing a loophole.