The end of the comment period for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed rule to cut down on organic fraud is approaching.
Comments on the Federal Register website on the Strengthening Organic Enforcement proposed rule will not be accepted after 11:59 p.m. Oct. 5.
“The proposed changes will significantly update the USDA organic regulations to increase oversight of complex organic supply chains,” according to a USDA news release. “Your experience, ideas and feedback are important to help us refine this important rule. Submit a comment to share how the proposed changes will impact your farm or business.”
The USDA has a series of online bulletins describing specific changes in the proposed rule:
- Part 1: Increasing Oversight Across Organic Supply Chains
- Part 2: Mandatory Use of National Organic Program Import Certificates
- Part 3: Improved Recordkeeping & Fraud Prevention for Farms and Businesses
- Part 4: Improved Recordkeeping & Fraud Prevention for Accredited Certifiers
- Part 5: On-Site Inspections, Organic Inspectors & Grower Groups
- Part 6: Closing the Gaps