The USDA’s Organic Program (NOP) is changing its approach to oversight of imports from India.
The USDA is ending its recognition agreement that had allowed Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority accredited certifiers
Continue Reading USDA increasing certification requirements for organic imports from India
Major players like the Produce Marketing Association, the United Fresh Produce Association, and Western Growers went on record in support of new organic regulations just before an official comment period ended on Oct. 5.
Continue Reading USDA collects comments on organic changes, moving on to final rule
Federal Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler is a former assistant U.S. attorney who spent much of her career as a top prosecutor for major federal crimes. Her latest assignment as Magistrate for the U.S. District Court
Continue Reading Organic growers say it is in their economic interest to stay grounded in soil
The USDA is today publishing a notice in the Federal Register to further delay and reconsider new mandates for handling and transporting livestock and providing avian “living conditions” for poultry raised as organic food.
Without
Continue Reading USDA delays Obama’s organic livestock standards for review
Consumers buying pricey organic produce would likely be upset if they knew the imported fruits and vegetables they pay premium prices for are sometimes doused with chemicals when they reach the United States.
A new
Continue Reading Inspector General again finds weaknesses in organic imports
The USDA’s National Organic Program will have new leadership as of October when Miles McEvoy steps down after eight years at the helm.
McEvoy, who has been deputy administrator of the National Organic Program within
Continue Reading Head of USDA’s organic program steps down after 8 years
And By Jay Lehr
President Obama tripled the budget and staffing at the offices of the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP), only to see American organic acreage flatline during his tenure.
The $9.1 million might
Continue Reading Should the boost in funding for organic farming survive in the new administration?
When the National Organic Standards Board meets this week in St. Louis, its 15 members will confront some particularly controversial agenda items involving whether certain substances and production methods are acceptable for use in food
Continue Reading Controversies loom for National Organic Standards Board
The folks who write POLITICO’S Agriculture Tip Sheet were celebrating an anniversary Tuesday. Not their own, but the one-year anniversary of USDA’s proposed organic aquaculture standards being hung up in the Office of Management and
Continue Reading One year later, White House still sitting on organic aquaculture standards
An industry trade group representing California and Arizona produce growers isn’t happy with a recent federal court decision striking down government guidance for using composted municipal green waste on organic farms. 
In a statement released
Continue Reading Judge strikes down USDA compost guidance, orders a do-over
This is part two in a series of three articles on organic foods originally published by Food Sentry on March 31, 2013. Read part one here: The Low-Down on Organic Foods. With the basics
Continue Reading Organic vs. Non-Organic: What's the Difference?
