Organic National Food Shopping Program Sold Produce Farmers

The National Organic Program was created in 2002 to develop "standards" (regulations and rules) for organic products. Previously, farmers and food manufacturers followed many different "guidelines" (recommendations for how to do things) in labeling their food as organic. Some products were sold as organic if they were grown without chemical pesticides. Others were sold as organic if they didn't use any chemical pesticides or fertilizers. And "still" (additionally) others were sold as organic only if the land hadn't been "exposed to" (been in contact with) chemicals for a certain number of years. There were also different rules about organic meat, which generally must come from animals that have been fed only organic "grain" (cereals) without any antibiotics or hormones.

Under the National Organic Program, a farmer or food manufacturer must be "certified organic" (officially having documents proving it is organic) before it can "label" (put a name or description on something) its products as organic. Right now there are 56 agencies in the United States that have the authority to provide organic certification for the National Organic Program.

Today, the official "seal" (a small logo or design) of the National Organic Program has a white-and-green design saying "USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Organic" inside a reddish-brown circle. A product can have that seal only if at least 95% of its "ingredients" (the things used to make a food or medicine) are organic.

Farmers and food manufacturers who label a product as organic when it actually isn't may have to pay a "fine" (money paid as a punishment) of up to $11,000 for each "offense" (each time someone does something wrong). However, this is very difficult to enforce, because the National Organic Program has a very small "staff" (the number of people working for an organization).