Organic certification verifies that your farm or handling facility located anywhere in the world complies with the USDA organic regulations and allows you to sell, label, and represent your products as organic. These regulations describe the specific standards required for you to use the word “organic” or the USDA organic seal on food, feed, or fiber products. The USDA National Organic Program administers these regulations, with substantial input from its citizen advisory board and the public. Organic Certification Fact Sheet

Your farm or handling facility may be certified by a private, foreign, or State entity that has been accredited by the USDA. These entities are called certifying agents and are located throughout the United States and around the world. Certifying agents are responsible for ensuring that USDA organic products meet all organic standards. Certification provides the consumer, whether end-user or intermediate processor, assurance of the organic product’s integrity. List of Certifying Agents

The USDA organic regulations recognize four categories of organic products:

Most farms and businesses that grow, handle, or process organic products must be certified. Overall, if you make a product and want to claim that it or its ingredients are organic, your final product probably also needs to be certified.

Who Needs to Be Certified? | Overview: Getting Certified

Yes. Any land used to produce raw organic commodities must not have had prohibited substances applied to it for the past three years. Until the full 36-month transition period is met, you may not:

USDA provides technical and financial assistance during the transition period through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Or, access a variety of funding options, conservation programs, and other programs and services for the organic sector at usda.gov.

Actual certification costs or fees vary widely depending on the certifying agent and the size, type, and complexity of your operation. Certification costs may range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Before you apply, it is important to understand your certifier’s fee structure and billing cycle. Typically, there is an application fee, annual renewal fee, assessment on annual production or sales, and inspection fees.

Once you are certified, the USDA Organic Certification Cost-Share Programs can reimburse eligible operations up to 75 percent of their certification costs. USDA Financial Assistance Programs

All raw certified organic products may be labeled with the USDA organic seal. Learn more about organic labeling, including which processed or multi-ingredient products may use the USDA organic seal: Organic Labeling

To become certified, you must apply to a USDA-accredited certifying agent. They will ask you for information, including:

Organic Certification Process:

Annual Recertification Process:

Those seeking certification will need to become familiar with the following resources:

USDA Organic Regulations. 7 CFR Section 205 includes all USDA organic standards, including prohibited practices, requirements, and the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Materials.

Program Handbook. This compilation of guidance documents, policy memos, and instructions is intended to clarify policies and assist those who own, manage, or certify organic operations with complying with USDA organic regulations.

Draft Guidance Documents. Before being finalized and included in the Program Handbook, draft guidance documents are typically open for public comments and amended as needed.

Use of the USDA Organic Seal. This page discusses the appropriate use of the USDA organic seal and provides versions of the seal at both print and screen resolution.

Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA) (PDF). The Act that established the NOP and its authority to enforce agricultural products sold, labeled, or represented as “organic” within the U.S.

Preamble. If you are interested in the history of the USDA organic standards, you may want to review the preamble to the final rule, which established the National Organic Program.

**For operators in California. Please note that California operates a State Organic Program, which allows this state to mandate additional requirements before an operation could obtain certification. Certifying agents should also be able to answer questions and provide oversight of any additional requirements in California. Learn more

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