SACRAMENTO, Calif.—California state government officials launched a new effort to enforce current organic standards, according to an Associated Press article. In June, the State Organic Program proposed new rules to enforce consistent oversight, which outline specific procedures for investigating complaints and collecting samples to check for unauthorized pesticides and fertilizers. The enforcement measures would also create a spot-inspection program.
The State Organic Program will hold a public hearing on the proposed rules in August.
The article said in addition to the proposed new rules, state agriculture officials will begin training county officials to weed out organic impostors later this month. These training sessions will focus on evaluating farmers' markets, as well as other problem areas.
The article states many industry experts, including the president of the state Board of Food and Agriculture and representatives from organic certification agencies, say organic fraud is rampant in California because it has not been regulated effectively.
The article’s writer, Robin Hindery, interviewed several farmers at a farmers’ market in California’s Central Valley who pointed out fraudulent claims of organic produce among the sellers there. Common tactics include third-party seals that resemble the USDA stamp, or using sayings, such as “Certified” or “Pesticide Free.”
However, not all believe California faces such a drastic problem. The article quotes Dan Best, the coordinator of Certified Farmers' Markets of Sacramento, who said his farmers’ markets are relatively free of organic fraud. He said, in fact, the State’s organic program has shut out many farmers who run organic operations, but cannot meet the specific requirements to become certified.
An organic seal from California’s State Organic Program costs about $250 in annual fees plus the costs that come with running a truly organic system of agriculture.