The Organic Quarterly reports new international quality management systems have reduced the difficulty of certifying organic materials.

At the January 2008 National Association of State Organic Programs (NASOP) annual meeting in Louisville, Ky. USDA National Organic Program (NOP) officials said certifiers could not rely on the materials registration programs operated by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). Because of the complexity in determining which materials are approved and prohibited under the National Organic Standards, OMRI and WSDA have developed material registration programs that are based on international quality management systems and the National Organic Standards. OMRI and WSDA evaluate hundreds of materials and publish lists that specify which brand name materials are allowed for use in organic production and handling.

Certification agencies, organic producers and handlers rely on these lists to make certification decisions. The USDA National Organic Program does not have the resources or the expertise to do this work. The OMRI and WSDA brand name lists have been used as an industry standard for many years and are widely recognized for the quality of their work by certifiers, producers, handlers and the industry that produces the materials. In late February, NASOP President Miles McEvoy and OMRI Executive Director Dave DeCou met with NOP Program Manager Barbara Robinson to try to resolve this problem. As a result of the meeting USDA issued a statement on March 5, 2008 that clarified that accredited certifying agents could utilize OMRI and WSDA for evaluating materials used in organic production and handling.

Organic producers and handlers certified by WSDA may utilize materials approved by either WSDA or OMRI in their organic systems. Over the next year, OMRI and WSDA will work with USDA to develop an accreditation program for material evaluation programs.