§6502 Definitions

Summary

Gives plain meanings for words used in the national organic farming and handling rules. Agricultural product means any farm commodity or product for people or animals, raw or processed, including products from livestock. Botanical pesticides are natural pesticides that come from plants. Certifying agent is the state agriculture chief or any person or group accredited to certify farms or handlers as organic; for foreign operations it also includes those accredited under U.S. rules or by a foreign government under an equivalency deal. Certified organic farm is a farm or part of a farm certified as organic. Certified organic handling operation is a handling business or part certified as organic. Crop year is the normal growing season set by the Secretary of Agriculture. Governing State official is the state agriculture chief who runs a state organic program. Handle means to sell, process, or package farm products. Handler is anyone who deals in handling products, but not final retailers who do not process them. Handling operation is a business that gets products and then processes, packages, or stores them (excluding final retailers who do not process). Livestock means animals used for food or food production, like cattle, sheep, swine, poultry, horses, fish, and game. National List is the list of allowed and prohibited substances. National organic program import certificate is the form used to verify imported products meet U.S. rules and must show at least the origin, destination, certifying agent, harmonized tariff code if one exists, total weight, and the organic standard; it must not require more than an equivalency agreement allows. Organic plan is a written plan agreed to by the producer or handler and the certifier that covers all required organic practices. Organically produced means made and handled under these rules. Person means an individual or any type of group or organization. Pesticide means any substance called a pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Processing means making or preparing food by methods like cooking, drying, mixing, grinding, extracting, fermenting, freezing, packaging, canning, or other manufacturing steps. Producer is someone who grows or produces food or feed. Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture. State organic certification program is a program approved by the Secretary that meets the law’s requirements to assure organic claims. Synthetic means made by chemical processes or by chemically changing natural materials, but not things made by natural biological processes.