Organic certification verifies that your farm or handling facility complies with the USDA organic regulations. This certification allows you to sell, label, and represent your products as organic. Farms all over the world may be certified to the USDA organic standards. Most farms and businesses that grow, handle, or process organic products must be certified. Certification allows you to call your product “organic” and to use the USDA seal.
Certification Benefits for Farmers, Ranchers, and Food Processors
Becoming certified organic helps producers and handlers:
- Receive premium prices for their products
- Access fast-growing local, regional, and international markets
- Support local economies
- Access additional funding and technical assistance
- Market products to consumers
Benefits of Organic Farming Practices
Research shows that organic farming practices can:
- Improve water quality
- Conserve energy
- Increase biodiversity
- Contribute to soil health
The USDA organic regulations describe production standards for use of the word “organic” or the USDA organic seal on food, feed, or fiber products. The National Organic Program oversees these regulations, with substantial input from its citizen advisory board and the public.
The organic industry is one of the fastest growing agricultural segments in the United States today, with sales reaching nearly $43 billion in 2015.
About 31,000 farms and businesses – in every U.S. region and over 100 countries around the world – are certified to the USDA organic regulations.