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| Getting Started |
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Steps for requesting organic certification services
1. Contact the ODA Organic Certification Program for an application packet, or download electronically fillable forms for your business.
2. Download the ODA Organic Certification Guide and a copy of the latest version of the National Organic Standards. These tools will help you understand all the requirements of becoming certified organic.
3. Complete the application packet and submit application fee as applicable to your operation. (See fees section for more information.) If you have questions filling out the application packet forms, please call the ODA Organic Certification Program at (503) 986-4620 or email cid-expert@oda.state.or.us.
4. The ODA will conduct a review on the materials you submitted in your application packet to determine compliance with the National Organic Program standards. The ODA may contact you if more information is required to complete the review of your application.
5. Once your application has been reviewed for compliance and accepted, you will be contacted by an inspector to schedule a convenient time for an on-site inspection of your operation. At this time, your inspector will include an estimate of total hours and fees for your certification services, based on the complexity and size of the operation. Inspections must occur during the growing season or production time for your particular crop or product so that the inspector can observe what practices are followed to determine compliance with the National Organic Program standards. You will need to have all related records available for review at the inspection.
6. After the inspection has occurred, your operation will go through a final evaluation process before certification can be granted. Again, if there are any further records or clarifications that need to be submitted before you can be certified, the ODA will contact you. If the final evaluation of your file verifies that your operation is operating in compliance with the National Organic Program standards, you will be issued an Organic Certificate. If any areas of noncompliance were identified during the evaluation process, these must be resolved before you receive certification.
Who must be certified?
Operations, or portions of operations, that produce or handle agricultural products that are intended to be sold, labeled, or represented in the US as "100 percent organic," "organic," or "made with organic" ingredients must be certified by a USDA accredited certifying agency.
Exemptions from certification
- Operations that sell less than $5,000 worth of organic producs yearly. However, if an exempt operation's product is to be used in a certified organic product, it cannot be identified as "organic" in the ingredient statement of that product unless it has been certified.
- Retail food establishments
- Processors that produce products with less than 70 percent organic ingredients
- Processors that product products that limit their organic claims to the information panel, or ingredient statement, of the label.
Exclusions from certification
- Handlers that only handle packaged organic food products (e.g. brokers, grocery distributors, cold storage warehouses, etc.).
For a complete list of exemptions and exclusions from certification, as well as the requirements for compliance, please refer to Section 205.101 of the National Organic Standards. Rules and regulations for labeling organic products produced at or on an exempt or excluded operation are found in Section 205.310, as well.
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| Application Process |
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Application Process
Operations must apply and be reviewed annually for continued compliance with the National Organic Standards. Each year, applicants must submit an application form, an updated organic system plan and yearly application fees.
Fees:
$250 Initial non-refundable application fee (first-time applicants only)
$100 Non-refundable application fee (renewal applicants required yearly)
$75 per inspection hour, 4 hour required minimum
Travel costs: Mileage, lodging and per diem as required for inspections billed at rates established by Oregon Department of Administrative Services.
Certified organic operations are inspected at least once a year. In addition, the ODA may conduct additional inspections to resolve an issue or if requested by the customer. Surveillance inspections are also conducted on a random basis to monitor certified operation's compliance with the program.
Applicants may apply at any time to the ODA, even if they have received a Notice of Noncompliance or Notice of Denial of Certification from another certifying agent, pursuant to Section 205.401 and 205.205(e) of the National Organic Standards. However, they must include in their new application the previous Notice of Noncompliance or Denial, a description of the actions taken, with supporting documentation, to correct the previous noncompliances.
Completing the application packet
Depending on the nature of your operation, you may need to submit additional documents with your application packet. Those are listed below and available for download.
Here is a list of required forms to be submitted with all annual applications for certification:
Application for Organic Certification and Organic Operator Agreement - This is a formal request for certification services under the ODA Organic Certification Program and an agreement between you and the ODA in which you agree to comply with the requirements of the National Organic Standards and the ODA Organic Program regulations. You should ensure that you have read the National Organic Standards and the requirements for operations seeking organic certification in Section 205.400 before you sign this agreement. This agreement must be signed by an authorized representative of your operation and is required to be submitted with your application.
Organic System Plan -
The National Organic Standards require that all operations seeking certification develop an organic system plan that is agreed upon by the certified operation and their accredited certifying agent. The ODA requires that new applicants submit a full, detailed system plan that is then updated on an annual basis for evaluation of continuing compliance. Any changes to the system plan, either during the year or during the renewal process, must be submitted and approved by the ODA Organic Certification Program.
The ODA will provide you with an organic system plan form for either crops or handling, depending on what you produce, that you may fill out and submit as part of your application. However, if you keep your system plan in another format or for another program, you may submit an alternative format to satisfy this requirement. However, according to the National Organic Standards, Section 205.201, it must include the following elements:
- A description of the practices and procedures to be performed and maintained, including the frequency with which they will be performed;
- A list of each substance to be used as a production or handling input, indicating its composition, source, location(s) where it will be used, and documentation of commercial availability, as applicable;
- A description of the monitoring practices and procedures to be performed and maintained, including the frequency with which they will be performed, to verify that the plan is effectively implemented;
- A description of the recordkeeping system implemented to comply with the requirements established in Section 205.103 of the National Organic Standard;
- A description of the management practices and physical barriers established to prevent commingling of organic and nonorganic products on a split operation and to prevent contact of organic production and handling operations and products with prohibited substances.
Crops - Organic System Plan
Handling - Organic System Plan
Producers Only:
Production Yield and Sales Form - This form is used to develop a baseline for your organic production and sales and will be reviewed in the desk audit before verification on your operation. For new applicants, estimate the amount of yield and sales that you expect to have in the coming marketing year to be verified the next year at your annual review. For renewal applicants, ensure that you maintain and submit yield and sales records for all the products that you have listed on your organic certificate, and estimates for any you plan to market as organic once certified.
Organic Site Registration and Previous Land Use Declaration - For each noncontiguous site with organic production, you must complete and submit a separate Organic Site Registration form for approval and review before certification. This form should must include information such as the site's acreage, the crops being produced, the surrounding land use, previous land use history, and an accurate and up-to-date site map that indicates borders with adjacent land.
Processors Only:
How to Obtain Certification for Organic Processed Products Packet - Every product that your company processes and sells as organic must be submitted to ODA and approved under your certification before it can be sold. Each new product that you add must also go through this approval process before you can sell it under the organic label. The Product Formulation Form must be filled out with details on ingredients and processing aids used in your formulation in order for ODA to verify if the product is in compliance with the National Organic Standards.
Please refer to this packet for each product that you would like to have under your certification and include the additional materials that may be needed, like labels and ingredient certificates, with your application. You may add new products to your existing certification throughout the year by submitting the required elements in this packet for the new product. Additionally, you may use these forms to report any changes to your product's formulation, ingredients, etc. as they may occur.
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| Program Requirements |
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Materials and Inputs
In order to comply with the National Organic Standards, producers and handlers use input materials and substances that are in compliance with the regulation. Both the active ingredients in a substance, as well as any inert or minor ingredients, must fully comply with the National Organic Standards to be used in or on organic crops, products, or sites. "The National List," Sections 205.601-205.606 of the National Organic Standards, outlines the allowed and prohibited substances that can be used in organic production and handling.
Materials are evaluated for their suitability for use against the National List by two entities: The Washington State Department of Agriculture through their Brand Name Material List (BNML) and the Organic Materials Review Insitute (OMRI). The ODA encourages its producers to check either of these two sources for review.
Any person may petition the National Organic Standards Board for the purpose of having a substance evaluated by the Board for recommendation to the Secretary for inclusion on or deletion from the National List. Contact USDA for a copy of the petition procedures or to submit a petition.
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