Follow the Money: Conflicts of Interest Abound in USDA Organic Certification
Industry Watchdog Files Formal Legal Complaint Against Largest Certifier
December 4, 2023 | Source: OrganicEye | by Mark Kastel
LA FARGE, WIS. — In the 1970s and 80s, as organic farming grew in the United States and became commercialized, farmers who had to charge a premium for organic food saw the need to create consumer confidence by founding a number of independent certifying agencies. After Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, it charged the USDA with the oversight of dozens of certifiers to ensure their independence and the harmonization of standards.
An industry watchdog, OrganicEye, has requested the USDA Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigate the National Organic Program, alleging malfeasance in its lack of preventing corporate influence peddling in the form of financial payments to certifiers over and above inspection fees, leading to the erosion of the integrity of the organic label.