USDA Has Made Major Updates to Organic Standards
In the past two years, we’ve achieved tremendous progress in our work to strengthen the organic standards. Major updates have been finalized to create a stronger organic program with rules that reflect the needs of organic farmers and consumers:
USDA finalized the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards rule in 2023 to ensure high animal welfare standards for animals raised on organic farms and guarantee access to the outdoors for organic chickens.
USDA finalized the Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule in 2023 to address fraud in organic supply chains. The rule went into effect in March, 2024.
USDA finalized the Origin of Livestock rule in 2022 to create a fair marketplace for organic dairy producers and is now focused on enforcement of the provisions in the rule.
These three major updates to the organic standards have been top priorities for the National Organic Coalition. Strong rules are essential to the viability of family farms and consumer trust in the organic label. Four years ago, NOC waged an effective campaign with the Biden-Harris Administration to put organic back on solid footing and to advance equity, focusing on six top priorities, including finalization of these three rules. Now that major updates to the organic regulations are final, NOC is asking USDA to implement and adequately enforce these new requirements.
And while we fully support USDA’s work to uphold and enforce strong organic standards, we also want sound and sensible implementation to ensure that low-risk operations that are abiding by the rules are not unduly burdened.
USDA has more work to do to meet the needs of the growing organic sector! NOC wants to see USDA move forward on the NOSB recommendations to restrict high nitrogen fertilizers, strengthen oversight of so-called ‘inert’ ingredients in organic pesticides, and to incentivize the use of organic seeds.