USDA honors eight with Investing in INTEGRITY awards

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Organic Program (NOP) honored eight USDA-accredited organic certifiers with a 2019 Investing in INTEGRITY award. Federally accredited certifiers are third-party organizations that certify and help enforce the regulations on more than 43,000 organic farms and businesses authorized to use the USDA Organic Seal. 

The award recognizes certifiers who regularly go above and beyond the basic requirements to provide more comprehensive data on certified operations through the USDA Organic INTEGRITY Database (INTEGRITY). Better data deters fraud, helping ensure consumer confidence in the USDA Organic Seal. 

2019 Winners: 

• California Certified Organic Farmers (Santa Cruz, CA)
• Colorado Department of Agriculture (Broomfield, CO)
• County of Marin Organic Certified Agriculture (Novato, CA)
• Georgia Crop Improvement Association (Athens, GA)
• Global Organic Alliance (Bellefontaine, OH)
• New Mexico Department of Agriculture (Albuquerque, NM)
• One-Cert, Incorporated (Lincoln, NE)
• Primus Labs (Santa Maria, CA) 

Launched in 2015, INTEGRITY makes data on current and former certified organic operations publicly available online from anywhere in the world for consumers, certifiers, retailers and anyone involved in bringing organic food and goods from the field to American homes. The ability to quickly confirm the organic certification status and other details of a farm or business helps certifiers support the organic community in fraud prevention.

Source: USDA