USDA Amends the National List for

Organic Crops and Handling

Final Rule Published

The Organic Foods Production Act created the
National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) as a tool
for managing the substances used in organic production in the US over time. In general,
natural substances are allowed in organics, and synthetic substances are
prohibited. The National List identifies the limited exceptions to these
general rules. The National List also identifies nonagricultural and nonorganic
agricultural substances (ingredients) that may be used in organic handling.
Changes to the National List require a National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)
recommendation and USDA rulemaking, a process that provides multiple
opportunities for public comment.

Today, the USDA published a final rule in the
Federal Register to amend the National List for crops and handling based on
public input and October 2019 NOSB recommendations. This final rule provides
additional options for organic farms by adding two substances to the list of
substances allowed for organic crop production.

This final rule allows:

• Fatty alcohols as sucker control in organic
  tobacco production.
• Example of chemicals tested:
• Potassium hypochlorite to treat irrigation water used
  in organic crop production.
• Potassium hypochlorite recommendation:.