NOFA-NY Certified Organic LLC has joined 5 other soil-based organic certification organizations in standing up to the USDA’s increasing pressure to abandon the fundamental principle that organic production is a soil-based activity.
Over the span of multiple years and with input from farmers and consumers together, these organizations—MOFGA Certification Services, NOFA-NY Certified Organic, LLC, OEFFA Certification, OneCert, Inc. (OneCert International Pvt. Ltd.), Real Organic Project, and Vermont Organic Farmers LLC—have developed a position statement affirming that soil is the foundation of organic agriculture.
These 6 certifiers – as well as others throughout the U.S. – have decided not to certify hydroponic crops on the grounds that they don’t comply with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA) and related regulations. Read the statement for a detailed explanation of why hydroponic systems cannot be certified organic under current regulations and add your name to the growing list of organizations, farms, and individuals who endorse the statement.