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Labels, Labeling and use of the USDA Organic Seal

Any prepackaged organic product sold by a retailer in the same package that it was received in may maintain whatever labeling it arrived in.

What do I do if I suspect fraud?

As retailers you are in a unique position to see and detect fraud or misrepresentation of organic products. Are those nuts just too inexpensive to be true or is the labeling of an organic product obviously faulty? The first place to check out the legitimacy of a product is to look on the USDA Organic Integrity Database. Here you can reference any company or farm and quickly check their certification status and the kinds of products under their certification, as well as who does their certification.

Packaging and Repackaging

As a retailer, you are expected to ensure your customers know which products or ingredients are organic and which are not. All organic claims on packaging, labeling and signage must be truthful and not misleading to shoppers about the status of whether or not a product is organic. Additionally, you are expected to ensure that no commingling or contamination of organic products has occurred within your operation.

Best Organic Retailing Practices

The fundamentals of handling organic products are essential knowledge for management and staff responsible for developing in-store organic handling plans and practices. All employees should develop critical thinking skills necessary to ensure that the integrity of organic product is maintained. It is the retailer’s responsibility to ensure that the organic integrity of products in your operations are not jeopardized.

Britt Lundgren

Company: 
Stonyfield
Award: 
Climate Action
Year: 
2021
Headshot: 

 

Another first this year, the Organic Climate Action Award has been established to recognize those who demonstrate exemplary leadership in advancing organic solutions to mitigate climate change. Britt Lundgren, Director of Organic and Sustainable Agriculture at Stonyfield Organic, leads the company’s efforts to reduce emissions from agriculture, particularly from dairy, and advocating for federal policies supporting organic farmers in becoming part of the solution to climate change. She is currently Secretary on the Organic Trade Association’s Board of Directors.

Scott Erickson

Company: 
Clif Bar & Company
Award: 
Community Service
Year: 
2021
Headshot: 

 

A new award category this year, the Community Service Award recognizes those who have gone above and beyond their standard business practices to be a source of positivity and stability for customers and organic community members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earning this first-of-its-kind recognition on behalf of Clif Bar & Company are Cassie Cyphers and Scott Erickson.

Cassie Cyphers

Company: 
Clif Bar & Company
Award: 
Community Service
Year: 
2022
Headshot: 

 

A new award category this year, the Community Service Award recognizes those who have gone above and beyond their standard business practices to be a source of positivity and stability for customers and organic community members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earning this first-of-its-kind recognition on behalf of Clif Bar & Company are Cassie Cyphers and Scott Erickson.

Amy Bruch

Company: 
Cyclone Farms
Award: 
Organic Famer of the Year
Year: 
2021
Headshot: 

 

Mayra Velazquez de Leon

Company: 
Organics Unlimited
Award: 
Organic Pioneer
Year: 
2021
Headshot: 

 

The Organic Pioneer Award honors leaders who have dedicated their careers to advancing organic agriculture and trade by providing bold vision, innovative creations and solutions, and the leadership required to bring dreams into reality. This year’s honoree, Mayra Velazquez de Leon has built a thriving organic fruit company and is committed to social responsibility and giving back to the farming communities that make organic agriculture possible. 

Future of Organic Farmers Workshop

Wednesday, March 2, 2022 - 1:00pm to 5:00pm

It has been 30 years since the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) was signed into law and while the organic sector has made many advancements, there is still much to be done to ensure the continued success of the organic movement and truly achieve the gold standard in food systems. The Organic Trade Association (OTA), the Organic Farmers Association (OFA), and the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University (ASU) led by Dr. Kathleen Merrigan are embarking on a partnership to bring together organic farmers nationwide vested in the continued success and growth of organic at the Future of Organic - Farmers Workshop on March 2, 2022 from 1-5 pm ET virtually.

As a farmer or farmer organization, we want to hear your innovative ideas to ensure the next 30 years of organic farming. We encourage farming organizations to hold pre-meetings to gather input from farmers in your region to share at the workshop. Individual organic farmers are also encouraged to apply to attend the workshop and share their ideas directly. The outcomes of the workshop will contribute to a report outlining tangible improvements to the law and regulatory process within USDA and inform updates to the Organic Foods Production Act and other priorities in the next farm bill.

Learn more and register

Event Type: 

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