About
OVERVIEW
Our logo assures you that
the products you are purchasing have been certified to be in compliance with the USDA National Organic Program standards and other international organic regulations. CCOF has a long-standing reputation for strictly interpreting organic standards and for protecting the integrity of organic. The CCOF seal is one of the most recognized and trusted in the organic sector.”
The social impact statements that most closely apply to our organization's mission statement
Eco-friendly production, Environmental conservation, Animal welfare, Species preservation
Our organization screens
Raw materials, Production process, Impact of use
How often our organization monitors compliance of our standards
Annual, At random
How our organization monitors compliance of our standards
On-site audit, Self reporting
Our mission statement
Our mission is to certify, educate and advocate organic. Our vision is to be the leading voice for organic.
The history of our organization
CCOF is one of the oldest and largest organic certification agencies in the country. We were founded in 1973 by 54 California farmers and we have been leading the organic marketplace ever since. While CCOF’s roots are in the California farming community, today our certification services have expanded across the breadth of the food supply chain to include a wide variety of operations both large and small. From field to fork, today CCOF certifies over 2000 operations including growers, manufacturers, processors, private labelers, retailers and restaurants who between them offer over 1100 different crops, products and services. Throughout our history we have maintained a reputation for protecting the integrity of organic and being at the forefront of educating buyers and consumers about the health and environmental benefits of eating organic and supporting organic production methods.
For more information on the history of CCOF visit: http://www.ccof.org/history_ab.php
Our organization's standards for producers, products, or sellers
How we developed our standards
CCOF certifies to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) that came into law in 2001, with implementation beginning in 2002. CCOF was active in the development of these federal regulations and the California State organic regulations that preceded them.
CCOF growers helped to develop the first peer-reviewed organic farming practices and standards beginning in the 1970’s. We were then active in the construction of the California Organic Food Act that was signed into law in 1979 and later succeeded by the California Organic Foods Act (COFA) of 1990. A year earlier, in 1989, it was a CCOF staff member who took the initiative to visit the Senate Agriculture Committee in Washington D.C to explain all about organic production, to provide a copy of CCOF’s own certification handbook and suggest a need for federal standards. At the time, different states had different and sometimes conflicting standards and CCOF felt something was needed at the national level. It was this bold move that brought about beginning of the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), which was completed in 1990 as part of the Farm Bill that year.
In 1992 the National Organic Standards Board was formed and began the work of writing the federal standards the following year. CCOF participated heavily in the process by educating NOSB members on the issues and using CCOF standards as the starting point. The first draft of the National Organic Program came into being in 1997 and, after much revision, the NOP came into law.
Summary of our process for screening new producers, products, or sellers
The first step in the organic certification process is a review of an operation’s Organic System Plan (OSP) by a trained CCOF certification specialist. Next there is an on-site inspection of the operation by a CCOF inspector to verify that what is detailed in the OSP is happening in practice. The inspector submits a detailed report of their site inspection. A CCOF Certification Specialist then does a second review and analysis of the initial Organic System Plan, this time, in conjunction with the inspection report. Any issues of non-compliance and requests for further information are addressed with the operation before a decision is made as to whether an operation complies or not with certified organic status. Once an operation is granted certification, it must maintain an up-to-date organic system plan and undergo and annual inspection of their production site.
How we regularly monitor compliance of our standards
Our monitoring process including who performs the monitoring
CCOF certification specialists thoroughly reviews the Organic System Plans (OSP) of all operations seeking organic certification of their products, and conducts annual on-site inspections to verify that what an operation has documented in their plan (OSP) is what is happening in practice before granting an initial or continuing status of compliance to organic standards i.e. organic certification.
The fee structure for our monitoring system
CCOF’s costs for organic certification are based on i) an initial application fee ii) inspection fees based on size of operation and location, and iii) an annual certification fee linked to an operations organic production value. More information on CCOF’s current fee structure can be found at www.ccof.org/fees.php
Monitored regions
United States, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica
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...
apply to become certified organic and gain access to the USDA certified organic seal. Find out more at www.ccof.org/certification.php
Alternatively, become a CCOF Supporting Member at www.ccof.org/support.php