USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.
USDA Naonal Organic Program Agricultural Markeng Service September 2015
The USDA organic regulaons describe organic agriculture as
the applicaon of a set of cultural, biological, and mechanical
pracces that support the cycling of on-farm resources,
promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. These
include maintaining or enhancing soil and water quality;
conserving wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife; and avoiding
use of synthec ferlizers, sewage sludge, irradiaon, and
genec engineering.
Organic producers use natural processes and materials when
developing farming systems—these contribute to soil, crop
and livestock nutrion, pest and weed management,
aainment of producon goals, and conservaon of
biological diversity.
This factsheet provides an overview of some common
pracces that organic producers and handlers use to ensure
organic integrity and operaon sustainability.
Soil Ferlity: Crops more easily resist disease, survive drought,
and tolerate insects when grown in good soil. Organic crop
producers build soil quality by adding compost, animal manures,
or green manures. As soil organisms break down these inputs,
they convert nutrients into forms plants can absorb and create
humus that sustains soil quality. Organic producers must not
apply sewage sludge or biosolids to soil. Addionally, organic
crop producers use cover crops to protect the soil from wind
and water erosion. Soil-conserving pracces include the use of
cover crops, mulches, conservaon llage, contour plowing, and
strip cropping.
Seeds and Planng Stock: Organic crop producers use
organic seeds and planng stocks to protect the integrity of
their crops. Organic growers may use convenonally grown
seeds when an equivalent organic variety is not commercially
available, but only if the seeds have not been genecally
modied or treated with prohibited substances, such as
fungicides.
Crop Rotaon: Organic crop producers pracce crop
rotaon (rotang the crops they grow in a eld or planng
bed over me) to interrupt insect life cycles, suppress soil
borne plant diseases, prevent soil erosion, build organic
maer, x nitrogen, and increase farm biodiversity. To
eecvely reduce insect and disease levels, farmers typically
follow one crop with another from a dierent crop family,
then wait a number of years before replanng the inial
crop. While crop rotaon is also pracced by many
convenonal farmers, organic producers are required to
implement the pracce by the USDA organic regulaons.
Managing Pests, Weeds, and Diseases: Pest management on
organic farms relies on the ‘PAMS’ strategy: prevenon,
avoidance, monitoring and suppression. Prevenon and
avoidance are the rst line of defense against pests, weeds,
and diseases. If pest or weed suppression becomes
necessary, producers oen use mechanical and physical
pracces, such as releasing predatory insects to reduce pest
populaons or laying down a thick layer of mulch to smother
weeds. As a last resort, producers may work with their
organic cerer to use an approved pescide, such as
naturally occurring microorganisms, inseccides naturally
derived from plants, or one of a few approved synthec
substances.
Maintaining Identy and Integrity of Organic Crops: Organic
crop producers are responsible for prevenng contact
between organic and convenonally-grown crops, as well as
contact with prohibited pescides or ferlizers. Split
operaons (farms that raise both organic and convenonal
crops) must make sure that organic crops don’t contact
prohibited substances through accidental sprays of
convenonal agrochemicals, spray dri, or residues on
equipment from non-organic elds. Fields from which organic
United States Department of Agriculture
Organic Crop Producon Pracces
Introducon to Organic Pracces
USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.
USDA Naonal Organic Program Agricultural Markeng Service September 2015
crops are harvested must have dened boundaries and buer
zones, such as hedgerows or crops, separang them from
convenonal crops and roadways. Prohibited materials
cannot be applied to land used for organic culvaon for 36
months prior to harvest of organic crops.
Livestock Living Condions and Facilies: Organic livestock
producers provide living areas that encourage the health and
natural behavior of their animals. Organic pracces reect
concerns for animal welfare and a desire to balance
producvity with both animal well-being and environmental
quality. Organic livestock must have access to outdoor areas,
shade, shelter, space for exercise, fresh air, clean drinking
water, and direct sunlight. Livestock shelters should give
animals protecon from extreme temperatures, adequate air
circulaon and venlaon, and space to exercise.
Grazing: Organic producers must give ruminant animals
(e.g., cale, sheep, and goats) access to pasture during the
grazing season. Livestock may not be connuously conned.
However, temporary connement is allowed under specic
circumstances, mostly regarding the health and safety of the
animal. By providing access to the outdoors, organic livestock
producers convert forage, legumes and grasses into meat,
milk, wool, and other products. Grazing livestock also provide
producers with manure, a very important source of ferlity in
organic farming systems and an excellent means of recycling
nutrients. Rotaonal grazing may improve forage quanty
and quality, while prevenng over-grazing.
Animal Health: Organic animal health, like organic crop
health, relies on preventave pracces and systems. Good
genecs are important, as organic livestock producers should
select breeds that are well adapted to their parcular
environment. Balanced nutrion, exercise, and a low-stress
environment also contribute to building strong immune
systems in animals. Vaccinaon and other preventave
measures are common; anbiocs and growth hormones are
prohibited. Organic livestock producers work to manage
exposure to disease and parasites through grazing
management, proper sanitaon, and prevenng the
introducon of disease agents.
Organic Feed: Organic livestock must eat cered organic
feed. Organic feed must be grown and processed by cered
organic operaons. Similarly, any pastures, forages, and plant
-based bedding (such as hay) accessible to livestock must be
cered as organically grown and processed. Certain
addives, such as vitamins and minerals not produced
organically, can be fed to organic livestock in trace amounts,
but others, including hormones used to promote growth, are
strictly prohibited.
Animal Origin: Organic livestock generally must be raised
organically since the last third of gestaon. Birds used for
poultry or egg producon, may come from any source, but
must be raised organically beginning the second day of life.
Organic Ingredients: Under USDA organic regulaons,
organic processors must use cered organic ingredients (for
a minimum of 95% of the product) and only approved non-
organic ingredient in products that are labeled
organic. Products labeled as “made with organic” specied
ingredients may include up to 30% non-organic agricultural
ingredients, but all other addives must be approved for
organic use. No ingredients or products may be produced
using genec engineering, sewage sludge, or ionizing
radiaon.
Commingling and Contact: To preserve the integrity of
organic ingredients and products, organic processors must:
Prevent commingling (i.e. mixing) with non-organic
ingredients and products throughout processing
Prevent contact between organic ingredients and non-
organic substances, including prohibited sanizers
Clean and sanize processing equipment when
changing from non-organic to organic products.; many
processors run organic products rst, aer their
cleaning with approved materials
Managing Pests: Similar to pest management on organic
farms, organic processing facilies must emphasize
prevenon over treatment. Organic processors may use
approved synthec substances if all other approaches have
failed but must ensure that these substances do not come in
contact with the organic products they handle.
For more informaon on organic pracces, visit USDA’s
Organic Agriculture page at www.usda.gov/organic or the
Agricultural Markeng Service, Naonal Organic Program’s
“Is Organic an Opon for Me?” page at www.ams.usda.gov/
organicinfo.
Organic Livestock Producon Pracces
Organic Processing Pracces
Addional Informaon
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