The USDA is helping more businesses become certified organic as part of updates made with the Strengthening Organic Enforcement Final Rule.
Deputy Administrator of the National Organic Program Jennifer Tucker says some handlers were previously exempt.
“And that led to some significant problems in oversight,” she says. “It made it hard to do traceability audits. When we were doing investigations, you could easily lose the trail of organic integrity.”
Now, businesses buying, selling, or negotiating sales of organic products are required to be certified. Tucker recommends farmers and organic businesses review supply chains.
