USDA Organic Certifiers are responsible for making sure that USDA organic products meet all organic standards. There are five basic steps to organic certification:

  1. The farm or business adopts organic practices, selects a USDA-accredited certifying agent, and submits an application and fees to the certifying agent.
  2. The certifying agent reviews the application to verify that practices comply with USDA organic regulations.
  3. An inspector conducts an on-site inspection of the applicant’s operation.
  4. The certifying agent reviews the application and the inspector’s report to determine if the applicant complies with the USDA organic regulations.
  5. The certifying agent issues organic certificate.

We look for USDA Organic Certified as one of our Simple Switch Impacts because

We support that the certification for USDA Organic products must be produced using agricultural production practices that foster resource cycling, promote ecological balance, maintain and improve soil and water quality, minimize the use of synthetic materials, and conserve biodiversity.

We're passionate about transparency surrounding the impact of the products we sell. You can find a full list of the impacts we look for here, or browse in our "SHOP BY IMPACT" menu. If you have questions about the impact behind our products, don't hesitate to reach out!