![[ International Annual Meetings - Home Page ]](images/banner.jpg "[ International Annual Meetings - Home Page ]")
Tuesday, November 3, 2009: 11:20 AM
Convention Center, Room 318, Third Floor
Abstract:
USDA-accredited certifiers can operate nationally and internationally. The NOP sets the regulations for growing, selling or labeling organic products sold in the United States. As organic production has increased so has the number of providers to help facilitate this growth.
The numbers of USDA-accredited certifiers have increased giving farmers many choices. Has allowing farmers to certify outside of their bioregion given them an opportunity to be less concerned with integrity issues and concentrate on primarily economics? Do certifiers have staff with the expertise to recommend to farmers the cultural practices and conditions for their area? Collaboration between extension, universities, farmers and certifiers would build sustainable organic practices for their bioregion.
The NOP standards tend to be vague so production practices can be developed by organic farmers within their bioregion that work with accepted regional organic practices. Certifiers need to have sufficient expertise in organic production and implementing NOP standards that are specific to local conditions. University of Nebraska has formed an “Organic Working Group” team consisting of researchers, educators, brokers, certifiers and farmers that work together on identifying organic production challenges, crop/cover crop varieties that integrate and identify the biodiversity of organic farms within the various bioregions of Nebraska.
For example, NOP 205.203 states farmers must manage crop nutrients and soil fertility through rotations and cover crops. Universities and extension have the expertise to guide certifiers on what cultural practices, cover crops and rotations are best for these farmers to use within their bioregion. Universities are not economically affected by certification decisions and have experts and outreach capabilities to network with farmers to ensure the integrity of the NOP.
The numbers of USDA-accredited certifiers have increased giving farmers many choices. Has allowing farmers to certify outside of their bioregion given them an opportunity to be less concerned with integrity issues and concentrate on primarily economics? Do certifiers have staff with the expertise to recommend to farmers the cultural practices and conditions for their area? Collaboration between extension, universities, farmers and certifiers would build sustainable organic practices for their bioregion.
The NOP standards tend to be vague so production practices can be developed by organic farmers within their bioregion that work with accepted regional organic practices. Certifiers need to have sufficient expertise in organic production and implementing NOP standards that are specific to local conditions. University of Nebraska has formed an “Organic Working Group” team consisting of researchers, educators, brokers, certifiers and farmers that work together on identifying organic production challenges, crop/cover crop varieties that integrate and identify the biodiversity of organic farms within the various bioregions of Nebraska.
For example, NOP 205.203 states farmers must manage crop nutrients and soil fertility through rotations and cover crops. Universities and extension have the expertise to guide certifiers on what cultural practices, cover crops and rotations are best for these farmers to use within their bioregion. Universities are not economically affected by certification decisions and have experts and outreach capabilities to network with farmers to ensure the integrity of the NOP.