NOP Posts Letter from Environmental Protection Agency on Ammonia Extracts

The National Organic Coalition has urged the USDA to move forward on NOSB recommendations from Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 related to nitrogen fertilizers in organic crop production. Organic is a ‘feed the soil’, systems-based approach to growing nutritious food. For that reason, NOC believes high nitrogen fertilizers must be restricted because overuse of these materials can short-circuit the holistic practices that are necessary to build long-term soil health. While all synthetic nitrogen fertilizers are prohibited in organic production, there are also some natural (non synthetic) materials that NOC believes should be restricted. We support the NOSB’s recommendation to prohibit two types of natural ammonia extracts: stripped and concentrated ammonia. This matter must be addressed immediately to protect the integrity of the organic program.

As a precursor to issuing a proposed regulation to implement the NOSB’s recommendations on high nitrogen fertilizers and ammonia extracts, the USDA National Organic Program has been consulting with the Environmental Protection Agency to fulfill Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) consultation requirements. USDA sent a letter to the EPA on December 22, 2022, requesting their input on ammonia extracts.

Finally, on May 16, 2024, USDA received a response and is considering next steps for a new proposed regulation related to nitrogen fertilizers.

EPA’s Response

In the EPA’s response to the NOP, they state that they “do not have determinate answers’ to the questions the NOP posed about whether ammonia extracts are harmful to human health and the environment. The NOP also asked EPA to weigh in regarding whether ammonia extracts are consistent with organic systems of production. EPA indicates in their response that ammonia can be hazardous at “certain levels of exposure” and notes that more research is needed to determine impacts on water quality compared to other nutrient management practices used in organic production. Regarding consistency and compatibility with organic production, EPA say they will defer to the USDA National Organic Program on this question because they do not have sufficient expertise regarding organic farming practices.

NOC Urges NOP to Move Forward with Rulemaking

NOC applauds the NOP for transparency in sharing the EPA’s full response with the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) and the organic community. We urge the NOP to move forward with a proposed rule that implements the 2021 and 2022 NOSB recommendations. This is an urgent issue because these fertilizers continues to proliferate in the organic marketplace.

Implementing these recommendations is part of the NOSB and organic community’s work to ensure that organic is the gold standard for protecting soil health and mitigating climate change.

Read the EPA’s response on ammonia extracts: https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/NOPEPAAmmoniaExtracts.pdf