United States Dept.

of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

NationalOrganicProgram
GeneticallyModified
Organism(GMO)
MilesMcEvoy,DeputyAdministrator

1/18/2012

United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

GMOOVERVIEW
TheOrganicFoodProductionAct(OFPA)of1990doesnotmention
biotechnology,geneticengineeringorgeneticallymodified
organisms.OFPAprohibitssyntheticsunlesstheyareallowed,
allowsnaturalsubstancesunlesstheyareprohibited.
ThefirstNationalOrganicProgramproposedrule(1997)didnot
prohibitGEsubstancesorGMOs.Therewasahugepublicoutcry
againstGMOsbeingconsideredinorganicproductionandhandling.
Proposedrulewithdrawn.
ThesecondNationalOrganicProgramproposedrule(2000)excluded
theuseofGMOsinorganicproductionandhandling.
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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

GMOsareprohibitedasexcluded
methods: 7CFR 205.105
Allowedandprohibitedsubstances,methods,
andingredientsinorganicproductionand
handling.
Tobesoldorlabeledas100percentorganic,
organic,ormadewithorganic(specified
ingredientsorfoodgroup(s)),theproductmust
beproducedandhandledwithouttheuseof:
(e)Excludedmethods,exceptforvaccines:Provided,
That,thevaccinesareapprovedinaccordancewith
205.600(a);
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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

ExcludedMethods
Avarietyofmethodsusedtogeneticallymodifyorganismsor
influencetheirgrowthanddevelopmentbymeansthatarenot
possibleundernaturalconditionsorprocessesandarenot
consideredcompatiblewithorganicproduction.Suchmethods
includecellfusion,microencapsulationandmacroencapsulation,
andrecombinantDNAtechnology(includinggenedeletion,gene
doubling,introducingaforeigngene,andchangingthepositions
ofgeneswhenachievedbyrecombinantDNAtechnology).
Suchmethodsdonotincludetheuseoftraditionalbreeding,
conjugation,fermentation,hybridization,invitrofertilization,or
tissueculture.
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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

NOPPolicy

In2004theNOPrespondedtoaletterfromtheNational
AssociationofStateDepartmentsofAgriculture(NASDA)
regardingtheuseofGMOsinorganicproductionandhandling.
InSeptember2010theNOPpublishedtheProgramHandbook:
GuidanceandInstructionsforAccreditedCertifyingAgentsand
CertifiedOperations.
InApril2011theNOPissuedNOPPolicyMemo1113to
addressGMOsinorganicproductionandhandling.Thepolicy
reiteratesthepolicyoutlinedinthe2004lettertoNASDAand
clarifiesquestionsconcerningGMOsandorganicproduction
andhandling.

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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

NOPPolicyMemo113
Issue:
IfaproduceradherestoallaspectsoftheNOPregulations,
Includingneverutilizinggeneticallymodifiedseeds,buta
Certifyingagenttestsanddetectsthepresenceofgenetically
modifiedmaterialinthecrop,isthatcrop'sstatusdetermined
tobenolongercertifiedorganic?

Continuedonnextpage
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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

NOPPolicyMemo113
Reply:
Organiccertificationisprocessbased.Thatis,certifyingagentsattesttothe
abilityoforganicoperationstofollowasetofproductionstandardsand
practiceswhichmeettherequirementsoftheOrganicFoodsProductionAct
of1990andtheNOPregulations.TheNOPregulationsprohibittheuseof
excludedmethods(i.e.,GMOs)inorganicoperations.Ifallaspectsofthe
organicproductionorhandlingprocesswerefollowedcorrectly,thenthe
presenceofadetectableresiduefromageneticallymodifiedorganismalone
doesnotconstituteaviolationofthisregulation.Thispolicywasestablished
atthepromulgationoftheNOPRegulationinthePreambletotheFinalRule
(FRVol.65,No.246,p.80556),December21,2000.ThePreamblestated
that:
Continuedonnextpage
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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

NOPPolicyMemo113
Continuedfrompreviouspage

Reply
Aslongasanorganicoperationhasnotusedexcluded
methodsandtakesreasonablestepstoavoidcontact
withtheproductsofexcludedmethodsasdetailedin
theirapprovedorganicsystemplan,theunintentional
presenceoftheproductsofexcludedmethodsshould
notaffectthestatusoftheorganicoperationorits
organicproducts

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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

NOPPolicy
Issue:
IstheinadvertentpresenceofGMOsin
organicseedsaviolationoftheNOP
regulations?Canorganicproducersuse
seedsthatcontaintheinadvertent
presenceofGMOs?
Continuedonnextpage
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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

NOPPolicy
Reply:
7CFR 205.105oftheNOPregulationsprohibitstheuseof
GMOsasexcludedmethodsinorganicproductionand
handling.Theuseofexcludedmethods,suchasplanting
geneticallymodifiedseeds,wouldrequireaspecificintent,and
wouldrenderanyproductineligiblefororganiccertification.
However,theinadvertentpresenceofGMOsinorganicseeds
doesnotconstituteausebecausetherewasnointentonthe
partofthecertifiedoperationtouseexcludedmethods.The
presenceofdetectableGMOresiduesaloneinanorganicseed
doesnotconstituteaviolationoftheNOPregulations
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NOPPolicy
Issue:HowdoorganicproducersavoidcontactwithGMOs?
Reply:
Organicproducersutilizeavarietyofmethodstoavoidcontactor
theunintentionalpresenceofGMOsincludingtestingseed
sourcesforGMOpresence,delayedorearlyplantingtoget
differentfloweringtimesfororganicandGMOcrops,cooperative
agreementswithneighborstoavoidplantingGMOcropsadjacent
toorganiccrops,cuttingormowingalfalfapriortoflowering,
postingsignstonotifyneighboringfarmersofthelocationof
organicfields,andthoroughcleaningoffarmequipmentthathas
beenusedinnonorganiccropproduction.
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NOPPolicy
Issue:
Whatareorganicproducersrequiredtodoinordertoavoidthe
presenceofGMOsintheirproducts?

Reply:
Inordertobecomeacertifiedorganicoperation,aproducer
mustsubmitanorganicsystemplantoaNOPaccredited
certifyingagentforapproval.Theproducersorganicsystemplan
mustincludeadescriptionofmanagementpracticesandphysical
barriersestablishedtopreventcontactoforganiccropswith
prohibitedsubstances.Certifyingagentsevaluatethe
preventativepracticesandbufferzonestodetermineifthe
producerhastakenreasonablestepstoavoidcontactwith
GMOs.
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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

NOPPolicy
Issue:

Couldafarm'sorganiccertificationstatusbethreatenedif
sufficientbuffersandbarriersarenotestablishedandinadvertent
contactwithGMOmaterialoccurs?

Reply:
Organicproducersthatimplementpreventivemeasurestoavoid
contactwithGMOswillnothavetheircertificationthreatened
fromtheinadvertentpresenceoftheproductsofexcluded
methods(GMOs).Cropsgrownoncertifiedorganicoperation
maybesold,labeledandrepresentedasorganic,evenwiththe
inadvertentpresenceofGMOs,providedthatallorganic
requirementsunder7CFRPart205havebeenfollowed.
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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

NOPPolicy
Issue:
Isthereaworkingdefinitionoftheword"contamination"
withintheNOP?

Reply:
ThereisnodefinitionintheNOPregulationsfortheword
"contamination,"eventhoughitismentionedfrequentlyin
thestandards.Theuseofexcludedmethodsinorganic
productionisprohibited,ascitedin7CFR 205.105.

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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

NOPPolicy
Issue:
Whatactionsareauthorizedorrequiredwhenorganiccropsor
productsarefoundtocontainunintendedorinadvertentgenetically
modifiedsubstances?

Reply:
Theinadvertentpresenceofgeneticallymodifiedmaterialdoesnot
affectthestatusofthecertifiedoperationanddoesnotresultinloss
oforganicstatusfortheorganicproduct,provideditwasproducedin
accordancewithalloftheorganicrequirementsunder7CFRPart205.
Certifyingagentsareresponsibleforworkingwithorganicproducersto
identifythesourceoftheinadvertentGMOsandtoimplement
reasonablestepstoavoidcontactwithGMOsinthefuture.

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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

NOPPolicy
Issue:
Areorganicproductstestedforgeneticallymodified
substances?

Reply:
Under7CFR 205.670(b)certifyingagentsmaytestorganic
productswhenthereisreasontobelievethatexcluded
methodswereusedintheproductionorhandlingofan
organicagriculturalproduct.Certifyingagentsmayalso
collectandtestorganicproductsfromorganichandlersto
ensurethatpracticesareinplacetopreventcommingling
orcontaminationduringhandlingandprocessing.
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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

NOPPolicy
Issue:
AreorganicproductsfreeofGMOcontaminants?

Reply:
Organicstandardsareprocessbased.TheNOPregulations
prohibittheuseofgeneticallymodifiedorganisms,prohibit
comminglingorcontaminationduringprocessingandhandling,
andrequirepreventativepracticestoavoidcontactwithGMOs.
OrganicagriculturalproductsshouldhaveminimalifanyGMO
contaminants;however,organicfoodproductsdonothavea
zerotoleranceforthepresenceofGMOmaterial.
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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

NOPPolicy
Issue:
Hasatolerancelevel(e.g.5%)beenestablishedforthe
presenceofGMOsinorganicagriculturalproducts?

Reply:
TheNOPregulationsdonotestablishGMOtolerancelevels.
TheNOPregulationsestablishatoleranceforthepresenceof
pesticidesregisteredbytheU.S.EnvironmentalProtection
Agency(EPA)thatissetat5%oftheEPAtolerancelevelforthe
specificresiduedetected.Nofederalagency,includingEPAor
USDAhasestablishedtolerancelevelsfortheinadvertent
presenceoftheproductsofexcludedmethods(GMOs).
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United States Dept. of Agriculture | Agricultural Marketing Service

NOPPolicy
Issue:
Processedfoodssoldasorganicmustcontainatleast95%organic
ingredients.AreGMOsallowedintheremaining5%ofingredients?
Likewise,processedfoodssoldasmadewithorganic(specified
ingredientsorfoodgroup(s))mustcontainatleast70%organic
ingredients.AreGMOsallowedintheremaining30%ofingredientsfor
theseproducts?

Reply:
TheuseofGMOsisprohibitedinallingredientsinorganicandmade
withorganic(specifiedingredientsorfoodgroups(s)).Thereisno
provisionwithintheNOPregulationsthatallowstheuseofexcluded
methods(GMOs)iningredientsorprocessingaidsundertheorganicor
madewithorganic(specifiedingredientsorfoodgroup(s))label
categories.
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