According to the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), organic agriculture is defined as "an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain, or enhance ecological harmony. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people."
The Iowa Department of Agriculture is accredited by the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) to certify all aspects of the organic food chain including organic crops, organic food products, organic feed, organic livestock and handling/processing of organic products. We certify over 330 producers and 50 handling/processing operations located in Iowa and neighboring states.
Resources
- Iowa Organic Advisory Council
- Administrative Rules Chapter 47
- Iowa State University Organic Agriculture
- The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)
- National Organic Program (USDA)
- Code of Federal Regulations - 7 CFR Part 205 National Organic Program
- National Organic Program Organic Integrity Database (USDA)
