If your operation is sourcing NOP-certified organic ingredients or products from India, you will need to ensure that your supplier or seller is certified by or seeking certification from a USDA-accredited certifier by July 12, 2021. Since 2006, the USDA has allowed the Indian government’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) to manage the accreditation of NOP certifiers working in India through a Recognition Agreement. To increase oversight and enforcement authority in India, the USDA will be terminating this Recognition Agreement, requiring all APEDA-accredited NOP certifiers to be accredited directly by the USDA no later than July 12, 2022.
This change will impact all NOP organic operations based in India who sell to the U.S. market and will require action from all operations in the United States who are sourcing NOP organic products and ingredients from India. Beginning mid-March 2021, USDA-accredited certifiers working in India will list operations who are certified or seeking NOP certification with a USDA-accredited certifier in the USDA’s Organic Integrity Database.
CCOF operations sourcing NOP organic products from India will need to use the USDA Organic Integrity Database to verify that their Indian supplier is listed as a new applicant or as certified in order to be compliant with this new requirement starting mid-March 2021. If your supplier is not listed in the database by July 12, 2021, communicate with your supplier to let them know that they need to apply for NOP certification from a USDA-accredited certifier to continue to sell NOP products to your operation. CCOF operations will be responsible for providing CCOF with NOP Certificates issued by a USDA-accredited certifier before July 2022. Your supplier is responsible for complying with all other Indian government export requirements, including Tracenet reporting and documentation.
For further information, email export@ccof.org or visit the USDA India website.