For most, the USDA organic label conjures up images of pastoral beauty, co-existence of wildlife and livestock, and fields of diverse crops. For some organic farmers, this too is the expectation they set for themselves when they certify their land and crops. However, not all of the organic community is on the same page.
To ensure uniform compliance, we are engaging with, and providing resources for, organic farmers so that they are successfully implementing practices that protect and increase biodiversity, and organic inspectors and certifiers so that they are verifying uniform compliance.
When the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations were first published back in 2002, their biodiversity conservation regulations were ignored. Since 2005, we’ve worked to change that, and have had many successes along the way.