Certifying Agents Currently Operating in the South
(Listed in alphabetical order)
Indiana Certified Organic (ICO) |
AR, KY, LA, TN |
International Certification Services, Inc. |
MS |
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry |
LA |
Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce |
MS |
Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) |
KY |
OneCert, Inc. |
MS |
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture (ODA) |
AR |
Oregon Tilth (OTCO)
|
AR, LA |
| Organic Inspectors’ Perceptions of Risks Faced by Organic Producers | |
Organic inspectors are the eyes, ears, and nose of the certification agency and are often the only representatives to physically visit the farm. They verify the accuracy of the grower’s Organic System Plan and assess the operation’s compliance with the regulations by conducting an on-site inspection before the operation can be certified. They also conduct the required annual inspections.[7 CFR 205. 403(a)] In the inspection process they become closely acquainted with both grower and operation. Recognizing that unique experience and insight, the IOIA gathered information from organic inspectors regarding the risks they perceived for transitioning and renewing organic producers. Their answers:
(Born, 2005) |
Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) |
AR |
Quality Certification Services (QCS) |
AR, LA, TN |
Stellar Certification Services, Inc. |
AR |
Self-profile survey of USDA-accredited organic certifiers.
In 2003, The Rodale Institute collaborated with the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) to conduct a self-profile survey of USDA-accredited organic certifiers. This survey was built on the prior work of OFRF, which provided farmers with an annual directory of organic certifiers from 1992 through the start of the start of the National Organic Program in 2002. The 2003 survey data is in searchable database that is available on the New Farm Web page at www.newfarm.org/ocdbt/.