USDA Reauthorizes the California State Organic Program

Date
December 19, 2016

The Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP) conducted a review of the California State Organic Program (CA SOP) and approved its continued operation as a State Organic Program.

State Organic Programs provide the opportunity for a state to oversee organic production and handling operations within its state. California is the only approved State Organic Program in the United States. The CA SOP is authorized under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, the USDA organic regulations, and the California Organic Products Act of 2003.  The CA SOP oversees and has enforcement authority for organic production and handling operations within the state.

The State Organic Program undergoes regular reviews by the NOP as part of its oversight program.

You can access the memorandum authorizing the CA SOP to continue operating as a State Organic Program and read more about the program on the AMS website.

This notice was also published in the USDA Organic Insider.  The USDA Organic Insider informs the organic community on a wide range of functions, including regulatory updates, requests for public comments, and USDA programs and services. Sign up to receive email updates at http://bit.ly/NOPOrganicInsider.