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We are asking for an email in order to follow up in the future about this resource. We want to make sure we are creating resources that are effective. We also want to include you in our work to help bring biodiversity to our agricultural lands.

Our report reviews how Organic System Plans (OSP) are addressing biodiversity. OSPs ensure certifiers, inspectors and farmers are implementing sound practices that represent the integrity of the organic label. While each certifier has a unique OSP they use to ensure compliance, not all are operating on the same playing field in terms of biodiversity conservation - each having varying degrees of biodiversity language and practices.

This report is based on a systematic review of a majority of US based certifiers’ OSPs. As a leading organization working on improving biodiversity conservation in organic agriculture, WFA can state that organic certifiers are moving in the right direction but, nearly two decades after the roll out of the NOP, most US certifiers are significantly deficient when it comes to addressing the intent and letter of the standards related to biodiversity.

We successfully engaged 42 of the 48 US based certifiers and obtained some or all parts of their OSPs. Using the model OSP developed in our 2016 Biodiversity Conservation: An Organic Farmers’ and Certifiers’ Guide, we evaluated how well certifiers’ OSPs are conforming to the requirements. What we found is that across the board, and for both cropland and livestock OSPs, certifiers need to update their OSPs to better address biodiversity conservation.

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