NOSB Votes to Keep Organic Certification For hydroponic And Aquaponic Product

NOVEMBER 02, 2017

The National Organic Standards Board rejected a series of proposals that would have revoked the organic certifications of growers who incorporate container, hydroponic and aquaponic production tools in their farms and production locations.

Lee Frankel, executive director of the Coalition of Sustainable Organics, applauded the ruling, saying, “The ultimate impact of the proposals would have removed significant supplies of currently certified organic fresh vegetables and fruits from the market. We need more product that meets the high standards of the USDA Organic Program, not less. The most viable option to achieve this goal is to use all certified systems and scales of production, not to kick certain growing practices out of the industry. The organic industry should embrace and promote diversity rather than stifle it.”

The members of the NOSB voted Nov. 1 by a margin of 8 to 7 to reject the proposals to make hydroponic and aquaponic production methods prohibited practices under the USDA organic standards. In addition, the NOSB rejected the proposal by a vote of 8 to 7 to create prescriptive nitrogen ratios in other container production systems.

The proposed definition of hydroponics was any system in a container (roots of a plant not in the outer crust of the Earth) that does not have at least 50 percent of the nitrogen needs of the plant in the container before planting and that no more than 20 percent of nitrogen needs are delivered through the irrigation system, watering cans or in a liquid form.

The NOSB did vote to make aeroponics a prohibited practice by a vote of 14 in favor of the ban with one member abstaining from the vote. This recommendation will now go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Given that the NOSB is technically a Federal Advisory Committee, the staff of the National Organic Program and other USDA officials will determine if the USDA will begin formal rulemaking to modify the existing USDA organic standards. The USDA typically will move forward with rule making or return the proposal for additional clarification. Only after a public comment period and regulatory review would the proposal convert into a regulation.

“I am happy that enough members of the NOSB saw the wisdom of ensuring that organic rules do not arbitrarily discriminate against production in urban, desert, or tropical areas, nor should they exclude other systems that use containers and greenhouses,” said Frankel. “We should trust growers to make their own determination to know when growing in the soil or in containers make the most sense for the protection of the consumer and the ecology we all share.”