§6506 General Requirements

Summary

Requires that products sold or labeled as organic come only from farms and handlers who are certified under the program. Producers and handlers who want to join must have an organic plan. The program must let people appeal bad administrative decisions. Each certified farm or handler must yearly certify that they followed the rules. Certifying agents must inspect certified farms and handlers on site each year and do periodic residue testing for pesticides, nonorganic residues, or natural toxicants. If a certifying agent learns of a food-safety law violation, they must report it to the right health agency. The program must have enforcement steps, conflict-of-interest protections, public access to certification papers and lab tests, and collect reasonable fees from participants. The Secretary can add other necessary terms. The program can certify whole farms or only specific fields or parts of a handling operation if the areas have clear boundaries and buffers, keep separate records, and use physical and management steps to avoid mixing organic and nonorganic products. It can allow limited exemptions for emergency pest or disease treatments, with one key statutory limit. The Secretary may also allow wild seafood to be labeled organic through regulations made after public comment and after consulting Commerce, the National Organic Standards Board, industry, and the public. State programs may add extra guidelines. Fees collected (including late penalties and interest) must pay the costs of the services and are available to the Secretary without further appropriation or yearly limit.