Organic Seed Search Annotated Resources Guide - Organic Seed Alliance
USDA National Organic Program, 7 CFR Part 205. National Organic Program. Retrieved from https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2011-title7-vol3/CFR-2011-title7-vol3-part205/
The regulations implementing the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP), also referred to as the USDA organic regulations, through which AMS oversees national organic standards for the production, handling, and labeling of organically produced agricultural products.
USDA AMS NOP. National Organic Program Handbook. Retrieved from https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic/handbook
Collection of policies, instructions, and guidance documentation for Accredited Certifying Agents and Certified Operations.
USDA National Organic Program. NOP 4002 Instruction: Enforcement of USDA Organic Regulations: Penalty Matrix. Retrieved from https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/4002.pdf
Document provides instructions for taking enforcement action against certified operations that violate the USDA organic regulations, to promote consistent enforcement when evidence confirms that noncompliance has occurred.
USDA National Organic Program. NOP 5029 Guidance: Seeds, Annual Seedlings, and Planting Stock in Organic Crop Production. Retrieved from https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/5029.pdf
Guidance describes practices for certified operations to demonstrate their proactive efforts to procure all organic seeds, annual seedlings, and planting stock in support of their organic system plan (OSP); clarifies “equivalent variety” and describes the form, quality, or quantity criteria to be met before seeds or planting stock can be categorized as commercially unavailable as organic.
Accredited Certifiers Association, Inc. (April 2019). Best Practices for Improving Consistency in Organic Seed Search. Retrieved from https://www.accreditedcertifiers.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ACA-Best-Practices-for-Improving-Consistency-in-Organic-Seed-Search-4.30.2019-Final.pdf
Document describes common challenges and presents best practices to ensure that certifiers apply a uniform level of scrutiny when assessing Organic Seed Search documentation related to quality, quantity, and equivalent varieties.
Accredited Certifiers Association, Inc. (December 3, 2018). List of Organic Seed Suppliers. Retrieved from https://www.accreditedcertifiers.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/List-of-Organic-Seed-Suppliers-12.3.2018.xlsx
List (in spreadsheet format) of organic seed suppliers as of December 3, 2018 (compiled by the Accredited Certifiers Association, Inc.).
National Organic Standards Board (February 19, 2019). Crops Subcommittee Proposal: Strengthening the Organic Seed Guidance, April 2019. Retrieved from NOSB April 2019 Meeting Materials (usda.gov)
NOSB proposal that lists improvements to the practices listed within the current NOP 5029 Guidance regarding the planting of organic seed/planting stock; these practices are requested of both certified entities and their certification agencies.
Databases: The Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) Organic Seed Finder Database and the SeedLinked Database
Dynamic information repositories that enable organic seed vendors and potential customers to find one another and allow users to make better seed choices for replacement, performance, and risk mitigation of new varieties.
Organic Seed Alliance (February 5, 2018). The Grower’s Guide to Conducting On-farm Variety Trials. Retrieved from https://seedalliance.org/publications/growers-guide-conducting-farm-variety-trials/
Guide provides farmers the fundamental skills to conduct on-farm variety trials that help farmers to manage risk by identifying optimal genetics for a grower’s unique environmental and market conditions.
Organic Seed Alliance (April 11, 2010). A Seed Saving Guide for Gardeners and Farmers. Retrieved from https://seedalliance.org/publications/seed-saving-guide-gardeners-farmers/
Manual provides the basics of seed-growing, from choosing appropriate varieties for seed saving to harvesting, processing, and storing seed.
Organic Seed Alliance (2016). State of Organic Seed. Retrieved from https://stateoforganicseed.org/
Project of the Organic Seed Alliance that monitors the status of organic seed in the United States and provides a roadmap for increasing the diversity, quality, and integrity of organic seed available.
Organic Seed Alliance (in cooperation with the USDA Risk Management Agency). Variety Trial Tool. Retrieved from https://organicseed.shinyapps.io/OrganicTrials/
The Organic Seed Alliance’s online variety trial tool, created in cooperation with the USDA Risk Management Agency; helps farmers and researchers to conduct trials by describing the steps to design a trial, create data sheets and maps, visualize trial results online or through a downloadable report, share results with others, and see the results of other people’s trials.
