Browse Arkansas Code titles and sections
7 U.S.C. § 6503 — National organic production program
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) In general** The Secretary shall establish an organic certification program for producers and handlers of agricultural products that have been produced using organic methods as provided for in this chapter.
**(b) State program** In establishing the program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall permit each State to implement a State organic certification program for producers and handlers of agricultural products that have been produced using organic methods as provided for in this chapter.
**(c) Consultation** In developing the program under subsection (a), and the National List under [section 6517 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section6517&num=0&edition=prelim), the Secretary shall consult with the National Organic Standards Board established under [section 6518 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section6518&num=0&edition=prelim).
**(d) Certification** The Secretary shall implement the program established under subsection (a) through certifying agents. Such certifying agents may certify a farm or handling operation that meets the requirements of this chapter and the requirements of the organic certification program of the State (if applicable) as an organically certified farm or handling operation.
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 7 U.S.C. § 6503
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. A text match is a research starting point; applicability is not established.
Original supplied file — preserved unchanged
Download original Markdown file
File SHA-256: e37ae971010f6a520922c266d7b3ea5455e9f7f94477f34e5cf5a1b3b212c5e8. The original may include catalog metadata, neighboring provisions, or embedded records outside this collection's scope. Search shows only the selected federal record. Historical editions and unverified snapshots are not a statement of current law.
Authority boundary: historical or unconfirmed source not current law verified.
Open the recorded source website ↗
Record provenance
Stable record: federal_law:legal_authorities:record_usc_a01b377b1ba8e268ee9b4687
Source file: Laws/federal/codes/united-states-code/title-7/section-6503-national-organic-production-program--790f7ba2c6.md
Pages: Not recorded – Not recorded
Passage SHA-256: 5a8e7eeac5043b1a8bf3f88c9bef5d32a7613a38750fc96690b3583c29d3fa41
Source location: Title 7, Chapter 94, § 6503; chapter-094-organic-certification.md
Stored source content
**(a) In general** The Secretary shall establish an organic certification program for producers and handlers of agricultural products that have been produced using organic methods as provided for in this chapter.
**(b) State program** In establishing the program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall permit each State to implement a State organic certification program for producers and handlers of agricultural products that have been produced using organic methods as provided for in this chapter.
**(c) Consultation** In developing the program under subsection (a), and the National List under [section 6517 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section6517&num=0&edition=prelim), the Secretary shall consult with the National Organic Standards Board established under [section 6518 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section6518&num=0&edition=prelim).
**(d) Certification** The Secretary shall implement the program established under subsection (a) through certifying agents. Such certifying agents may certify a farm or handling operation that meets the requirements of this chapter and the requirements of the organic certification program of the State (if applicable) as an organically certified farm or handling operation.
Cross-references
Connections may be documented source relationships, shared citations or nearby passages. Each explains its basis; a connection alone does not establish applicability to your situation.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) In general** The Secretary shall establish a National Organic Standards Board (hereafter referred to in this section as the “Board”) in accordance with chapter 10 of title 5 to assist in the development of standards for substances to be used in organic production and to advise the Secretary on any other aspects of the implementation of this chapter.
**(b) Composition of Board** The Board shall be composed of 15 members, of which—
(1) four shall be individuals who own or operate an organic farming operation, or employees of such individuals;
(2) two shall be individuals who own or operate an organic handling operation, or employees of such individuals;
(3) one shall be an individual who owns or operates a retail establishment with significant trade in organic products, or an employee of such individual;
(4) three shall be individuals with expertise in areas of environmental protection and resource conservation;
(5) three shall be individuals who represent public interest or consumer interest groups;
(6) one shall be an individual with expertise in the fields of toxicology, ecology, or biochemistry; and
(7) one shall be an individual who is a certifying agent as identified under [section 6515 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section6515&num=0&edition=prelim).
**(c) Appointment** Not later than 180 days after November 28, 1990, the Secretary shall appoint the members of the Board under paragraph (1) through (6) of subsection (b) (and under subsection (b)(7) at an appropriate date after the certification of individuals as certifying agents under [section 6515 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section6515&num=0&edition=prelim)) from nominations received from orga
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 7 U.S.C. § 6518
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. Explicit cross-reference supplied in source Markdown; currentness and applicability require review.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) In general** The Secretary shall establish a National List of approved and prohibited substances that shall be included in the standards for organic production and handling established under this chapter in order for such products to be sold or labeled as organically produced under this chapter.
**(b) Content of list** The list established under subsection (a) shall contain an itemization, by specific use or application, of each synthetic substance permitted under subsection (c)(1) or each natural substance prohibited under subsection (c)(2).
**(c) Guidelines for prohibitions or exemptions**
(1) **Exemption for prohibited substances in organic production and handling operations** — The National List may provide for the use of substances in an organic farming or handling operation that are otherwise prohibited under this chapter only if—
(A) the Secretary determines, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, that the use of such substances—
(i) would not be harmful to human health or the environment;
(ii) is necessary to the production or handling of the agricultural product because of the unavailability of wholly natural substitute products; and
(iii) is consistent with organic farming and handling;
(B) the substance—
(i) is used in production and contains an active synthetic ingredient in the following categories: copper and sulfur compounds; toxins derived from bacteria; pheromones, soaps, horticultural oils, fish emulsions, treated seed, vitamins and minerals; livestock parasiticides and medicines and production aids including netting, tree wraps and seals, insect traps, sticky barriers, row covers, and equipment cleansers; or
(ii) is used in pr
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 7 U.S.C. § 6517
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. Explicit cross-reference supplied in source Markdown; currentness and applicability require review.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) In general** The Secretary shall establish and implement a program to accredit a governing State official, and any private person, that meets the requirements of this section as a certifying agent for the purpose of certifying a farm or handling operation as a certified organic farm or handling operation.
**(b) Requirements** To be accredited as a certifying agent under this section, a governing State official or private person shall—
(1) prepare and submit, to the Secretary, an application for such accreditation;
(2) have sufficient expertise in organic farming and handling techniques as determined by the Secretary; and
(3) comply with the requirements of this section and [section 6515 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section6515&num=0&edition=prelim).
**(c) Additional documentation and verification** The Secretary, acting through the Deputy Administrator of the national organic program established under this chapter, has the authority, and shall grant a certifying agent the authority, to require producers and handlers to provide additional documentation or verification before granting a certification under [section 6503 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section6503&num=0&edition=prelim), in the case of a compliance risk with respect to meeting the national standards for organic production established under [section 6504 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section6504&num=0&edition=prelim), as determined by the Secretary or the certifying agent.
**(d) Accreditation of foreign organic certification program**
(1) **In general** — For an agricultural product being imported into the United States to be represented as
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 7 U.S.C. § 6514
Stored review status: release_metadata_unconfirmed. Incoming connection: Explicit cross-reference supplied in source Markdown; currentness and applicability require review.
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
Page 1873
TITLE 7—AGRICULTURE
§ 6505
§ 6503. National organic production program
(a) In general
The Secretary shall establish an organic cer-
tification program for producers and handlers of
agricultural products that have been produced
using organic methods as provided for in this
chapter.
(b) State program
In establishing the program under subsection
(a), the Secretary shall permit each State to im-
plement a State organic certification program
for producers and handlers of agricultural prod-
ucts that have been produced using organic
methods as provided for in this chapter.
(c) Consultation
In developing the program under subsection
(a), and the National List under section 6517 of
this title, the Secretary shall consult with the
National Organic Standards Board established
under section 6518 of this title.
(d) Certification
The Secretary shall implement the program
established under subsection (a) through certi-
fying agents. Such certifying agents may certify
a farm or handling operation that meets the re-
quirements of this chapter and the requirements
of the organic certification program of the State
(if applicable) as an organically certified farm or
handling operation.
(Pub. L. 101–624, title XXI, § 2104, Nov. 28, 1990,
104 Stat. 3937.)
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
EXCLUSIONS FROM ORGANIC CERTIFICATION
Pub. L. 115–334, title X, § 10104(a), Dec. 20, 2018, 132
Stat. 4899, provided that: ‘‘Not later than 1 year after
the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 20, 2018], the
Secretary [of Agriculture] shall issue regulations to
limit the type of organic operations that are excluded
from certification under section 205.101 of title 7, Code
of Federal Regulations, and from certification under
any other related sections under
Source: Supplied 2024 U.S. Code historical extraction · 7 U.S.C. § 6503
Stored review status: historical_2024_not_currentness_verified. Same stored citation; legal effect and authority still require review.