National Organic Program (NOP)
The federal regulatory program at the USDA that defines what "organic" means in the United States. Lives in 7 CFR Part 205.
The National Organic Program, or NOP, is the federal regulatory program within the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service that develops and enforces the rules behind the USDA Organic seal. The NOP sits at 7 CFR Part 205 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
What it does
The NOP:
- Defines the production, handling, and labeling standards for organic agricultural products
- Accredits the third-party agents (CCOF, NFC, OEFFA, etc.) that actually certify operations
- Maintains the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (NOP §205.601)
- Enforces compliance through audits, complaint investigations, and the Organic Integrity Database
The NOP itself does not certify operations. That work is delegated to USDA-accredited certifying agents — see USDA-accredited certifying agent.
Structure of 7 CFR Part 205
The regulation is organized into seven subparts:
- Subpart A — Definitions
- Subpart B — Applicability
- Subpart C — Organic Production and Handling Requirements (the bulk of the day-to-day rules)
- Subpart D — Labels, Labeling, and Market Information
- Subpart E — Certification
- Subpart F — Accreditation of Certifying Agents
- Subpart G — Administrative
Most of the requirements that show up in an Organic System Plan map to subpart C and subpart E.
Why it matters
When someone says "this farm is certified organic" in the United States, they mean it has been certified to the NOP standards by a USDA-accredited certifying agent. There is no other federal organic standard in the U.S. — every other organic claim ("transitional", "regenerative organic", "biodynamic") sits on top of the NOP, not parallel to it.
Cited regulations
Linked to the current eCFR text of 7 CFR Part 205. Reviewed before publication.
QO Editorial Team
Quick Organics
Quick Organics' editorial team writes about USDA organic certification, the Organic System Plan, and the daily realities of running a certified organic operation. Material is reviewed against the current eCFR text of 7 CFR Part 205 before publication.