About
OVERVIEW
Our logo assures you that
Organic Claims on Products have been verified by a third party organization with high integrity. It assures you that the product meets the requirements for organic labeling established by the USDA and other International organic labeling regulations.
The social impact statements that most closely apply to our organization's mission statement
Environmental conservation
Our organization screens
Raw materials, Production process
How often our organization monitors compliance of our standards
Annual
How our organization monitors compliance of our standards
On-site audit
Our mission statement
Oregon Tilth, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that supports and promotes biologically sound and socially equitable agriculture through education, research, advocacy, and product certification.
The history of our organization
The history of Oregon Tilth reaches as far back as the early 1970's, as the descendant of Regional Tilth, formed in 1974 at an Ellensburg, Washington gathering of farmers and concerned consumers. Regional Tilth provided a community and framework for a prolonged conversation about the persistent issues relative to sustainable agriculture and what kind of footprint we leave for those who follow us. With chapters in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Northern California, and Idaho, regional Tilth was a conduit for some of the early discussions that have influenced local, regional and national sustainable and organic communities, policies, and practices for over 30 years. In 1982 Oregon Tilth began certifying organic farms and in the late 1980's began, under our own private organic standards, certifying processors and organic food manufacturers.
Our organization's standards for producers, products, or sellers
How we developed our standards
Current standards for US production are those established by the USDA. Oregon Tilth also certifies to other International Organic laws and private standards including, EU Organic Regulations, Global Organic Textile Standards.
Summary of our process for screening new producers, products, or sellers
New appllicants are screened by review of their organic systems plan. Creating a sound plan for organic production and handling is the foundation. The plan is compared to regulatory requirements.
How we regularly monitor compliance of our standards
Our monitoring process including who performs the monitoring
Each operation completes a detailed plan for preserving organic integrity through the supply chain, annual on-site audits are completed to verify practices and regulatory requirements, full review conducted by regulatory specialists.
The fee structure for our monitoring system
Depending on the type of operation and complexity, fees range from $399 to $30,000 annually. Fees are based on percentage of sales.
Monitored regions
National and International
More information about our organization
We'd also like to tell you...
For businesses or producers that want to work with us, we recommend you do the following...
visit our website wwww.tilth.org and become familiar with the standards you want to gain certification to or call us at 503.378.0690