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The following definitions are drawn from the final rule for the
USDA's National Organic Program,
administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service.
Act—The Organic Foods Production
Act of 1990, as amended (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.).
Certified Operation—A crop or livestock production,
wild-crop harvesting or handling operation, or portion
of such operation that is certified by an accredited certifying
agent as utilizing a system of organic production or handling
as described by the Act and the regulations in this part.
Certifying Agent—Any
entity accredited by the Secretary as a certifying agent
for the purpose of certifying a production or handling
operation as a certified production or handling operation.
Crop Rotation—The practice of alternating the annual
crops grown on a specific field in a planned pattern or
sequence in successive crop years so that crops of the
same species or family are not grown without interruption
on the same field. Perennial cropping systems employ means
such as alley cropping, intercropping, and hedgerows to
introduce biological diversity in lieu of crop rotation.
Cultivation—Digging up or cutting the soil to prepare
a seed bed; control weeds; aerate the soil; or work organic matter,
crop residues, or fertilizers into the soil.
Cultural Methods—Methods
used to enhance crop health and prevent weed, pest, or
disease problems without the use of substances; examples
include the selection of appropriate varieties and planting
sites; proper timing and density of plantings; irrigation;
and extending a growing season by manipulating the microclimate
with green houses, cold frames, or wind breaks.
Excluded Methods—A variety of
methods used to genetically modify organisms or influence
their growth and development by means that are not possible
under natural conditions or processes and are not considered
compatible with organic production. Such methods include
cell fusion, microencapsulation and macroencapsulation,
and recombinant DNA technology (including gene deletion,
gene doubling, introducing a foreign gene, and changing
the positions of genes when achieved by recombinant DNA
technology). Such methods do not include the use of traditional
breeding, conjugation, fermentation, hybridization, in
vitro fertilization, or tissue culture.
Handler—Any person engaged in the business of handling
agricultural products, including producers who handle crops or livestock
of their own production, except such term shall not include final
retailers of agricultural products that do not process agricultural
products.
Organic System Plan—A plan of management
of an organic production or handling operation that has
been agreed to by the producer or handler and the certifying
agent and that includes written plans concerning all aspects
of agricultural production or handling described in the
Act and the regulations in subpart C of this part.
Organic Production—A
production system that is managed in accordance with the
Act and regulations in this part to respond to site-specific
conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical
practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological
balance, and conserve biodiversity.
Pasture—Land used for livestock
grazing that is managed to provide feed value and maintain or improve
soil, water, and vegetative resources.
Producer—A person who engages in the business of growing
or producing food, fiber, feed, and other agricultural-based consumer
products.
Wild Crop—Any plant or portion of a plant that is collected
or harvested from a site that is not maintained under
cultivation or other agricultural management.
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