Organic Tree Fruit
Organic Tree Fruit. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report.
More and more we are seeing organic produce and fruit at the supermarket. Where just a few years ago it was relegated to the health food sections, now it competes for space up front. Miles McEvoy, Deputy Administrator for the National Organic Program, spent some time recently talking to the tree fruit industry about the organic program and described in some detail what they are looking for.
McEVOY: We have what we call 10 points of organic integrity, clear enforceable standards. Communication, transparency, certification, complaints, penalties, market surveillance, unannounced inspections and periodic residue testing and continual improvement. We see these as 10 elements of a comprehensive regulatory oversight structure for protecting the integrity of the organic label.
He says that while certification is an important component of the organic process there are many others as well. He also spent a few minutes talking about the National Organic Standards Board.
McEVOY: The National Organics Standards Board is a 15 member federal advisory board. It has a diversity of memberships. It has organic farmers, organic handlers as well as environmentalists and consumers. They meet twice a year and they make recommendations to the national organic program and to USDA. And the thing that's really important to remember about the National Organics Standards Board is that they have statutory authority over the national list.
That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.
