Ricketts, Smith Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Organic Import Verification

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the Organic Imports Verification Act. The bipartisan legislation would protect American organic farmers from fraudulent organic imports. It would preserve the integrity of domestic organic commodities through robust certification and monitoring practices.

“Fraudulent organic imports hurt American farmers and degrade consumer trust. This must stop,” said Senator Ricketts. “By enhancing oversight and enforcing stricter controls, we can better safeguard U.S. organic farmers and maintain consumer trust in organic products. This bipartisan legislation levels the playing field for our domestic organic producers.”

“Many Americans pay a premium for organic food at the grocery store and many farmers invest a lot of work and financial equity to sell certified organic products in the marketplace,” said Senator Smith. “Despite USDA’s best efforts, products being imported to this country are often deemed organic when they are not, hurting both consumers and farmers. This bill will help ensure that items labeled organic are indeed organic, protecting the quality of food we eat and farmers’ livelihoods.”

Specifically, the Organic Imports Verification Act: 

1. Authorizes a full U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report to Congress on residue testing for all imported organic feedstuffs shipped via bulk;
2. Authorizes USDA to take corrective action and stop the sale of organic imports for positive residue contaminant tests.

The residue testing report must include frequency of testing, methods used, results, analysis standards, and any actions taken as a result of testing.

Full text of legislation can be found here. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) is a co-sponsor of the legislation.

The legislation is supported by the Organic Trade Association, Organic Farmers Association, and the National Organic Coalition.

BACKGROUND:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers the Organic Food Production Act. This Act sets standards for labels on organically produced agricultural products. It creates a national list of approved and prohibited substances for organic production. It also includes an organic certification program, called the National Organic Program (NOP). The NOP establishes rules and regulations for the production, handling, labeling, and enforcement of organic products that undergo residue testing.

The USDA and third-party organic certifiers are responsible for testing imported organic commodities under the NOP. A majority of these imports are coming from high-risk countries with a weak verification process in place.  This lack of an established verification process raises concerns about the authenticity and quality of these organic products coming into U.S. ports. 

In 2024, 1.3 million metric tons of organic feedstuffs were imported via maritime vessels, with 80% originating from countries with questionable organic enforcement. This influx is equivalent to the output of 800,000 acres of domestic organic production and $1 billion in losses for U.S. organic farmers.

U.S. organic farmers require stronger oversight and enforcement to protect the integrity of the organic marketplace. While import fraud affects various organic commodities, feedstuffs are particularly vulnerable. Products such as whole soybeans, soybean meal, corn, cracked corn, canola, sunflowers and sunflower byproducts frequently enter the U.S. market through high-risk and complex supply chains.