Northwest Horticultural Council
Organics
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The Pacific Northwest is the national leader in the production of organic apples, pears, and cherries. Over 15 million boxes of organic apples are now harvested from more than 28,000 acres in Washington state, amounting to over 90 percent of the fresh organic apple crop in the United States. There is also a significant volume of organic pears and cherries grown in our region, with more than 6,500 acres planted across the Pacific Northwest. According to certifier data, an additional 1,000 acres of tree fruit orchards in Washington state were transitioning to organic in 2022.
In many ways, the Pacific Northwest is the epicenter for organic pome fruit and cherry production in the United States. The total value of the organic tree fruit crop for the region topped $756 million in 2021, of which organic apples alone accounted for approximately $668 million. In fact, tree fruit accounted for 50 percent of farm gate sales for all Washington state organics that year.
Washington state hosts 89 percent of the reported organic apple acres in the U.S., producing 97 percent of the nation’s reported fresh organic apple volume. Washington also has 71 percent of the organic pear acreage and grows 60 percent of the volume in the country, and 83 percent of the sweet cherry acreage and 93 percent of the volume (USDA NASS, 2022).
Any operation, or portion of operation, that produces or handles crops, livestock, livestock products, or other agricultural products that are intended to be sold, labeled, or represented as “100 percent organic,” “organic,” or “made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))” must be certified organic by a USDA-accredited certifying agent.
I. USDA AMS National Organic Program
The National Organic Program (NOP), under the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), develops the rules & regulations for the production, handling, labeling, and enforcement of all USDA organic products. This process, referred to as rulemaking, involves input from the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) (a Federal Advisory Committee made up of 15 volunteer members of the public) and the public. The NOP also maintains a Handbook that includes guidance, instructions, policy memos, and other information on the organic standards.
Spanish translations of various organic regulations and other information may be found here.
For those interested in learning about the National Organic Program, including the public comment process, inspections, enforcement, and audits, visit the NOP Organic Training webpage and create an account at the Organic Integrity Learning Center. Registration for the National Organic Program Microlearning course is free and each course can be covered in 10 to 15 minutes. Instructions may be accessed here.
A. National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) Meeting Information
The 15-member NOSB meets publicly twice annually (usually April and October) to consider new topics and make recommendations to USDA on a wide range of issues involving the production, handling, and processing of organic products. The NOSB accepts public input prior to the bi-annual meetings in the form of written and oral comments.
The NHC encourages organic industry members to submit comments on materials under review to voice the challenges faced by our organic farmers and stakeholders. Comments can be as simple as a few sentences expressing why these materials are important to Pacific Northwest organic tree fruit production. For an overview of the commenting process and tips for submitting comments, check out the NHC’s article “Commenting 101” in the Good Fruit Grower magazine. Tips from USDA on submitting comments can be found here.
If you have any questions or would like assistance submitting comments, please contact Dan Langager, technical communications manager, at [email protected] or 509-453-3193.
During the spring meeting, NOSB members discuss materials under sunset review on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List). At the fall meeting, the Board votes to continue listing or to de-list sunset materials. A two-thirds vote (10 members) is needed to remove a currently listed material or to add a petitioned material to the National List. NOSB meetings are free and open to the public, and no registration is required, except to sign up for oral comments.
Fall 2024 Meeting
The NOSB held its annual fall meeting October 22-24, 2024, in Portland, Oregon, with a virtual broadcast option. Public comment webinars took place virtually the week prior on October 15 and 17.
The NOSB discussed a petition to allow Pear Ester (i.e., Ethyl-2E,4Z-Decadienoate), a semiochemical, to the National List as a synthetic kairomone for use in mating disruption products. The discussion document can be read here. A vote to approve or reject the petition will take place in 2025.
The Board voted, and approved, two proposals: one to revise how inert ingredients are listed in organic regulations and one to amend the definition of compost and its production management practices. The proposals now go to the USDA National Organic Program for rulemaking.
Additionally, the NOSB voted to continue listing all of the materials up for sunset review from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. No materials were “de-listed” this year. Some of the important materials under sunset review this year included:
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- Ammonium Soaps, for use as large animal repellant only
- Hydrogen peroxide, as a sanitizer/disinfectant and plant disease control
- Horticultural oils, as an insecticide and plant disease control
- Magnesium sulfate, as a plant or soil amendment
- Peracetic acid / Peroxyacetic acid (PAA), for use as a sanitizer on food contact surfaces
- Pheromones, for insect management (mating disruption)
- Potassium bicarbonate, for plant disease control
Click here to see the full list of sunset materials, discussion documents, and proposals.
The deadline to submit written comments was September 30, 2024. The NHC submitted written comments, which can be read here. All written comments to the NOSB can be read at Regulations.gov (Docket # AMS-NOP-24-0023).
Meeting Resources:
Additional information can be found on the NOSB’s Portland meeting webpage.
Spring 2024 Meeting
The NOSB held its annual spring meeting April 29 – May 1, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and broadcast the meeting virtually. Public comment webinars took place virtually the week prior on April 23 and 25.
The Board discussed a proposal regarding “Compost Production for Organic Agriculture” and conducted a preliminary review of the National List materials under sunset review. The compost regulations proposal and sunset material reviews will be voted on at the fall 2024 meeting in October.
The NHC submitted written comments, which can be read here, and provided oral comment as well. All submitted comments can be found at Regulations.gov (Docket # AMS-NOP-23-0075).
Additional information can be found on the NOSB’s Milwaukee meeting webpage.
Upcoming Meetings
The spring 2025 meeting is scheduled to take place April 29 – May 1, in Tempe, Arizona. The fall 2025 meeting is scheduled to take place November 4-6, in Omaha, Nebraska. Meeting locations for 2026 have not yet been announced.
All future NOSB meetings will likely include a virtual option for those unable to travel. It is also likely oral comment opportunities will continue primarily as virtual webinars held the week before the full NOSB meeting. In addition, three hours of in-person oral commenting are scheduled for the first day of the full NOSB meeting.
Additional information on the NOSB and its agendas, meetings, and workplans can be found at AMS.USDA.gov.
B. NHC Comments to NOSB
C. The National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances
The USDA organic regulations allow most natural substances in organic farming while prohibiting most synthetic substances. The National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances – part of these regulations – lists the exceptions to this basic rule: synthetic substances are prohibited unless specifically allowed, and natural substances are allowed unless specifically prohibited.
II. Pacific Northwest State Departments of Agriculture
A. Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Organic Program
The WSDA is accredited as a certification agency by USDA. As a certification agent of the National Organic Program, the WSDA Organic Program’s role is to inspect and certify organic operations, verifying that they are meeting all of the USDA organic standards requirements.
B. Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) Organic Program
The ODA is a USDA-accredited certifying agent for organic crop production and organic handling/processing.
C. Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Organic Program
The ISDA is an accredited certifying agent of the USDA’s National Organic Program. ISDA has been serving the state’s organic community since 1990 when the Idaho legislatures passed the Organic Food Products Law (Title 22, Chapter 11, Idaho Code). In 2002, ISDA became one of the nation’s first accredited certifying agencies.
III. Links
NHC Science Advisory Committee – Organic Subcommittee Members
Inadvertent Residues on Organic Fruit
USDA Organic Market Development Grants (OMDG) Program
NOP International Trade Partners
| Recent Trends in Certified Organic Tree Fruit in Washington State: | ||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
Click here for links to more information on international, federal, state, and private organics.
The Northwest Horticultural Council represents the conventional and organic deciduous tree fruit industry of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington on national and international policy issues affecting growers, packers, and shippers. For further information on organics, contact Dan Langager, technical communications manager, at 509-453-3193.
Updated 10/30/2024