Organic Stakeholder Feedback Needed!
This year (2019), the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will vote on whether to continue the allowance of several of the fertilizers, pest control products, livestock treatments, processing aids, and ingredients currently allowed for use by certified organic operations. These National List inputs will be reviewed and voted on by NOSB based on their Sunset timeline (5-year renewal date cycle), and may not be renewed if new information indicates these substances are incompatible with organic production. The specific inputs included in this sunset cycle are listed below.
During the sunset review process, the NOSB determines whether the inputs up for review should remain on the National List based on three main criteria: whether the material is necessary or essential because of the unavailability of natural or organic alternatives; whether the material is harmful to human health or the environment; and whether the material is compatible with organic farming and handling. Learn more about the Sunset Review Process
Do you use any of the substances listed below? It’s critical that organic stakeholders weigh in by the April 4, 2019 comment deadline for the NOSB Spring 2019 Meeting and explain whether these inputs are consistent with and necessary for organic production, or whether there are other effective natural or organic alternatives available. The feedback you provide now for the spring 2019 meeting will inform the proposal and vote made at the fall meeting (October 2019).
Inform OTA’s comments by completing the OTA Sunset Surveys! To help facilitate the comment process, OTA has created a survey system for collecting feedback from certified organic farms and processors. Below are links to electronic surveys that can be used to submit feedback on each individual material currently under NOSB review. Each survey is CONFIDENTIAL, and contains about 10 short questions that will take an estimated five minutes to complete. The information collected will be passed along to NOSB via OTA’s comments.
Why should you care? The inputs listed below are fertilizers, pest control products, livestock treatments, processing aids, and ingredients currently allowed for use under certain restrictions by certified organic operations. In short, they are production inputs that help to grow and process organic products. It’s critical that NOSB hear from certified farmers and handlers during this open comment period on whether these inputs are essential and/or necessary for organic production and should remain on the National List, or whether there are other effective natural or organic alternatives available.
LINKS TO 2021 SUNSET SURVEYS
(click on the substance below to access the electronic survey)
Crops
- Hydrogen peroxide (disinfectant and fungicide)
- Ammonium soaps (animal repellant)
- Horticultural oils (for pest and disease control)
- Pheromones (for insect management)
- Ferric phosphate (slug or snail bait)
- Potassium bicarbonate (for disease control)
- Magnesium sulfate (nutrient fertilizer)
- Hydrogen chloride (for delinting cotton seed)
- Ash from manure burning (prohibited for use)
- Sodium fluoaluminate (prohibited for use)
Livestock
- Atropine (medical treatment)
- Hydrogen peroxide (disinfectant and teat dip)
- Iodine (disinfectant and teat dip)
- Magnesium sulfate (medical treatment)
- Fenbendazole (parasiticide)
- Moxidectin (parasiticide)
- Peracetic acid (equipment sanitizer)
- Xylazine (sedative)
- Methionine (feed additive for poultry)
- Trace minerals (feed additive)
- Vitamins (feed additive)
Handling
§ 205.605(a) – ALLOWED NON-AGRICULTURAL NONSYNTHETICS
- Citric acid
- Lactic acid
- Calcium chloride
- Dairy cultures
- Enzymes
- L-Malic acid
- Magnesium sulfate
- Microorganisms
- Perlite (filtering aid)
- Potassium iodide
- Yeast
§ 205.605(b) – ALLOWED NON-AGRICULTURAL SYNTHETICS
- Activated charcoal (filtering aid)
- Alginic acid
- Ascorbic acid
- Calcium citrate
- Ferrous sulfate
- Hydrogen peroxide (sanitizer)
- Nutrient vitamins and minerals
- Peracetic acid (sanitizer)
- Potassium citrate
- Potassium phosphate
- Sodium acid pyrophosphate (leavening agent)
- Sodium citrate
- Tocopherols (antioxidant)
§ 205.606 – ALLOWED NON-ORGANIC AGRICULTURAL INGREDIENTS WHEN ORGANIC IS NOT AVAILABLE
Contact
Gwendolyn Wyard
Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs
(503) 798-3294
Johanna Mirenda
Farm Policy Director
(202) 812-7704
