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What is the SOE rule?

Published in Organic Regulation 3 mins read

The Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule is a significant update to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic regulations, fundamentally designed to protect the integrity of the organic supply chain and enhance confidence in the USDA organic seal for both farmers and consumers.

Understanding the SOE Rule

Officially known as the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule, this comprehensive regulation aims to close gaps in the organic system, prevent fraud, and ensure that products marketed as organic truly meet the rigorous standards. It represents the largest revision to the USDA organic regulations since their inception, reinforcing the oversight and enforcement capabilities of the National Organic Program.

Key Objectives of the SOE Rule

The SOE rule focuses on several critical objectives to bolster the organic industry and consumer trust:

Aspect SOE Rule's Action
Organic Integrity Ensures that products bearing the USDA organic seal consistently meet the required organic standards throughout the entire supply chain, from farm to final market.
Confidence Building Bolsters trust in the USDA organic seal for both farmers and consumers, supporting authentic organic producers and providing consumers with greater assurance.
Control Systems Support Strengthens the underlying framework and robust organic control systems that govern organic production, handling, and certification processes.
Traceability Enhancement Significantly improves the ability to track organic products throughout their journey, from raw ingredients through processing to finished goods, enhancing farm-to-market visibility.
Import Oversight Increases the USDA's authority to oversee and verify the organic status of all imported organic products, reducing the risk of fraudulent imports.
Enforcement Provides robust enforcement of organic regulations, establishing clearer guidelines and stronger mechanisms for addressing non-compliance and fraudulent activities within the organic sector.

Practical Impacts and Improvements

The implementation of the SOE rule introduces several important changes that affect the entire organic supply chain:

  • Expanded Certification Requirements: More entities involved in the organic supply chain, such as brokers, traders, and import agents who facilitate the sale or trade of organic products, are now required to obtain organic certification. This addresses previous loopholes where uncertified handlers could inadvertently introduce non-organic products into the certified chain.
  • Mandatory Import Certificates: For all organic products entering the U.S., an electronic organic import certificate must be issued through the USDA's Organic Integrity Database. This measure significantly enhances oversight of imported organic goods.
  • Enhanced Recordkeeping: The rule strengthens recordkeeping requirements across certified operations, enabling more comprehensive tracking and auditing of organic products. This supports improved traceability and accountability.
  • Organic Fraud Prevention Plans: Certified operations are now required to develop and implement robust organic fraud prevention plans as part of their organic system plans. These plans identify vulnerabilities and outline strategies to mitigate the risk of fraud.
  • Stronger Enforcement Authority: The USDA gains greater authority to take action against those who violate organic regulations, including increased penalties for non-compliance and fraud, ensuring a more level playing field for legitimate organic businesses.
  • Improved Oversight of Certifying Agents: The rule also strengthens the oversight of USDA-accredited certifying agents, ensuring they consistently and uniformly apply USDA organic standards during the certification process.

These measures collectively work to safeguard the organic label, ensuring consumers can trust the integrity of organic products and supporting the livelihoods of organic farmers and businesses committed to organic principles.