Your feedback is needed! Over the course of its next two meetings, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will review several of the fertilizers, pest control products, livestock treatments, processing aids and ingredients currently allowed for use by certified organic operations. These production and handling inputs will be reviewed and voted on by NOSB based on their sunset timeline (renewal date), and may not be renewed if new information indicates these substances are incompatible with organic production.
It’s critical that organic stakeholders weigh in by the Wednesday, April 4, comment deadline and explain whether these inputs are consistent with and necessary for organic production, or whether there are other effective natural or organic alternatives available. The information you provide now will inform the vote NOSB will take at the fall 2018 meeting in St. Paul, MN.
To help facilitate the comment process, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) has created a confidential survey system for collecting feedback from certified farms and processors. The information collected will significantly help NOSB identify the inputs that should be renewed or removed from the National List. The information collected will be passed along to NOSB via OTA’s comments. Please follow the link:https://ota.com/advocacy/organic-standards/national-organic-standards-board/spring-2018-meeting/2020-sunset-surveys
Handling Materials: Calcium carbonate; Flavors; Gellan gum; Oxygen; Potassium chloride; Alginates; Calcium hydroxide; Ethylene; Glycerides (mono and di); Magnesium stearate; Phosphoric acid; Potassium carbonate; Sulfur dioxide; Xanthan gum; Fructooligosaccharides (FOS); Gums: Arabic, Carob bean, Guar, Locust bean; Lecithin - de-oiled; Tragacanth gum
Livestock materials: Alcohols: ethanol, isopropanol; Aspirin; Biologics, vaccines; Electrolytes; Glycerin; Phosphoric acid; Lime, hydrated; Mineral oil; Sucrose octanoate esters
Crop Materials: Alcohols: ethanol, isopropanol; Sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate; Newspaper or other recycled paper; Plastic mulch and covers; Aqueous potassium silicate; Elemental sulfur; Lime sulfur; Sucrose octanoate esters; Hydrated lime; Liquid fish products; Sulfurous Acid; Ethylene; Microcrystalline cheesewax; Potassium chloride