Northwest Horticultural Council
Organics
The Pacific Northwest is the national leader in the production of organic apples, pears, and cherries. Over 17 million boxes of organic apples are now harvested from more than 30,424 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 7,500 acres planted across the Pacific Northwest. Organic tree fruit production in the Pacific Northwest is increasing, with additional acreage transitioning to organic each year.
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 $625 million in 2019, of which organic apples alone accounted for approximately $544 million. In fact, tree fruit accounted for 50% of farm gate sales for all Washington state organics that year.
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 (NOP)
The National Organic Program (NOP) 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 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 members of the NOSB meet publicly twice a year 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 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.
NOSB Annual Fall Meeting 2022
The NOSB held its fall meetings in person October 25-27, 2022, in Sacramento, California, with a virtual option for those unable to travel. Public comment virtual webinars took place the week prior on October 18 and 20.
The Board discussed substances petitioned for addition to or deletion from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List), substances due to sunset from the National List in 2024, and recommendations on organic policies, including USDA technical support for NOSB members, oversight improvements to deter fraud, and research priorities.
For the substances due to sunset from the National List, the Board voted to keep all of them on the list. No materials were de-listed. A two-thirds vote is needed to de-list a material.
For crops materials, the Board voted to continue listing soap-based herbicides, biodegradable biobased mulch film, boric acid, sticky traps/barriers, elemental sulfur, fixed coppers, copper sulfate, polyoxin D zinc salt, humic acids, soluble boron micronutrient products, vitamins C and E, squid byproducts, and micronutrients: sulfates, carbonates, oxides, or silicates of zinc, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and cobalt. The Board voted to maintain prohibitions on the use of lead salts and tobacco dust (nicotine sulfate).
For handling materials, the Board voted to continue listing attapulgite, bentonite, diatomaceous earth, magnesium chloride, nitrogen, sodium carbonate, acidified sodium chlorite, carbon dioxide, sodium phosphates, casings, pectin, and potassium acid tartrate. The Board passed a motion to approve ion exchange filtration for recharge materials on the National List. The Board voted not to allow peroxylactic acid as a synthetic material for meat and poultry products, and voted not to amend the listing of phosphoric acid to allow it as an acidifier to adjust pH.
The Board approved the NOSB Technical Support Initiative with unanimous consent. The proposal could open opportunities for inter-agency agreements between the National Organic Program and other USDA agencies (e.g., ARS, NIFA, RMA) to assist NOSB members on projects such as research, reviewing technical reports, conducting literature reviews, preparing summaries of public comments, and assistance in drafting language for proposals and recommendations.
The NHC submitted oral and written comments, which focused on substances under sunset review, packing line sanitizers, and the NOSB Technical Support Initiative. You can read the NHC’s written comments here.
Meeting Resources:
Draft Meeting Agenda (pdf)
Meeting Materials (All Proposals and Discussion Documents) (pdf)
Subcommittee Proposals (Individual proposals)
Federal Register Notice of Meeting
NOSB Annual Spring Meeting 2022
The NOSB met virtually April 26-28, 2022, to discuss substances petitioned for addition to or deletion from the National List, substances due to sunset from the National List in 2024, and recommendations on organic policies. Public comment webinars took place on April 19 and 21. During the spring meetings, board members reviewed public comments, discussed documents and subcommittee reports, and voted on recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture.
The NHC submitted oral and written comments, which focused on substances under sunset review, such as copper sulfate, fixed coppers, boric acid, soluble boron, micronutrients, and sticky traps, as well as packing line sanitizers and the NOSB Technical Support Initiative. You can read the NHC’s written comments here.
NOSB Upcoming Meetings 2023
The NOSB plans to hold its next spring meetings April 25-27, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. The next fall meetings are scheduled October 24-26, 2023, in Providence, Rhode Island.
All future NOSB meetings will likely include a virtual option for those unable to travel. It is also likely oral comment opportunities will continue as virtual testimonies held the week before the full NOSB meetings.
Additional information on the NOSB and its agendas, meetings, and work plans can be found at AMS.USDA.gov.
B. NHC Past Comments to NOSB
| NHC Past Comments: | |
| Spring 2022 | Fall 2022 |
| Spring 2021 | Fall 2021 |
| Spring 2020 | Fall 2020 |
| Spring 2019 | Fall 2019 |
| Spring 2018 | Fall 2018 |
| Spring 2017 | Fall 2017 |
| Fall 2016 | |
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. 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. They certify over 230 operations.
III. Links
NHC Science Advisory Committee, Organic Subcommittee Members
NOP International Trade Partners
Inadvertent Residues on Organic Fruit
| Recent Trends in Certified Organic Tree Fruit in Washington State: | |||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
For more information on international, federal, state, and private organics information, please click here.
The Northwest Horticultural Council represents the deciduous tree fruit industry of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington on national and international policy issues affecting growers, packers, and shippers. For further information, contact Dan Langager, technical communications manager, at 509-453-3193.
Updated 11/4/2022