The National Organic Program standard for certified organic production and handling.
USDA Organic certification verifies that agricultural products are produced using approved organic farming methods. The National Organic Program (NOP) sets the standards for what can be labeled and sold as "organic" in the United States.
Unlike food safety certifications like USDA GAP or PrimusGFS, organic certification focuses on production practices — prohibiting synthetic pesticides, GMOs, and synthetic fertilizers while promoting soil health, biodiversity, and ecological balance.
Certification requires a 3-year transition period, annual inspections, and detailed record-keeping of all inputs, practices, and sales. Operations must maintain an Organic System Plan (OSP) documenting how they meet NOP standards.
Farms producing crops, livestock, or processed products that will be sold, labeled, or represented as "organic" with annual gross organic sales over $5,000.
Core elements of NOP compliance for crop production.
Comprehensive plan documenting your transition strategy, production practices, and monitoring procedures.
Use only USDA-allowed materials. Maintain detailed records of all inputs with NOP compliance documentation.
Build soil health through organic-compliant practices. Document amendments, crop rotations, and cover cropping.
Implement organic pest control methods. Maintain records of all applications and cultural practices.
Establish physical barriers to prevent contamination from adjacent conventional operations.
Land must be free from prohibited substances for 36 months before harvest of an organic crop.
Only USDA-approved materials from the National List are permitted. Natural doesn't always mean organic-compliant.
Yearly on-site inspections and comprehensive organic system plan reviews required to maintain certification.
Focuses on ecological balance, biodiversity, and sustainable farming — not just pathogen control.
Track inputs, document practices, and maintain NOP-compliant records.
Guided templates for documenting your organic production plan aligned to NOP requirements.
Track approved inputs with automatic OMRI/WSDA verification and application records.
Self-audit tool checks your records against NOP standards before the certifier arrives.
Document amendments, rotations, cover crops, and fertility practices with photo evidence.
Generate organized documentation packages with OSP, input records, and field histories.
Track non-compliances with root cause analysis and verification for continuous improvement.
Document your organic system plan, track approved inputs, and maintain NOP-compliant records.
GAP APP provides preparation tools and is not affiliated with USDA or any organic certifying agent. Certification decisions are made solely by USDA-accredited certifiers.