Oregon Tilth Guidebook: Understanding the Organic Certification Process
UNDERSTANDING THE ORGANIC CERTIFICATION PROCESS
A Guide to Navigating Your Certification Journey
Grounded in connection. Built on trust. Growing forward together.
A LEADER IN ORGANIC CERTIFICATION,
EDUCATION,
AND ADVOCACY
SINCE 1974 Supporting and promoting biologically sound and socially equitable agriculture.
At Oregon Tilth, we believe the organic industry is a living, evolving ecosystem grounded in nurturing our environment, strengthening our connections, and enriching ourselves through the power of education. Founded on the belief that food and agriculture should be equitable, sustainable, and safe, we recognize that this won't be achieved by certification alone, but it's a transformative place to start.
Consumers are reshaping the marketplace, empowering communities to transform our food system into one that is more resilient, equitable, and in harmony with the land and its inhabitants.
Our goal is to demonstrate how these values can be turned into opportunities to build a more sustainable food system for generations to come and how producers can grow and benefit from it.
What sets us apart from other certifiers is our legacy of forming connections and partnerships throughout the organic community. As a certifier, we offer a purpose-driven path for farmers, growers, and processors to build trust with their consumers.
Our certification, education, and client experience teams are here to guide you through the certification process. With 50 years of experience, our approach is grounded in connection to the land, the people, and the environment. We start from the soil upwards and nurture our relationships with the organic community through creating partnerships and offering support, education, and advocacy.
THE ORGANIC CERTIFICATION JOURNEY
How the team at Oregon Tilth will help to guide you:
• Provide a clear and detailed explanation of the certification process, including the requirements for organic certification, documentation needed, and average time frames
• Personalized support from our team of certification specialists
• Access to a wealth of information on organic certification, including training, webinars, and other educational resources.
• The opportunity to join a community of like-minded farmers, processors, and food industry advocates.
Scopes we work with:
With a diversity of experience, you can be sure that we have the ability to serve and support your operation. In addition to the USDA National Organic Program, we also offer a number of other certification services. Please reach out to your Client Services Team if you would like more information about any of these services.
ACB EU STANDARD USDA NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM CERTIFIED GRASS-FED ORGANIC LIVESTOCK PROGRAM™
GLOBAL ORGANIC TEXTILES STANDARD
SALMON SAFE
NSF/ANSI 305
MÉXICO ORGANIC PROGRAM
BEE BETTER CERTIFIED™
Agricultural crops
Farms producing agricultural and horticultural crops, wild harvested crops, as well as pasture areas used for livestock grazing.
Transitional Organic
This service acts as a stepping stone, assisting farmers throughout the transformation from nonorganic to organic production.
Organic Plus Trust (OPT) Grass-Fed Organic
Livestock
Farms with livestock production practices and animals, including end products for sale such as meat, eggs and milk.
Personal Care Products
Organic certification for personal care products such as cosmetics, soaps, personal hygiene products and much more. We certify to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards and NSF/ANSI 305 Organic Personal Care Products standard.
Processors & Handlers
Processors of organic foods, co-packers, packers, brokers, wholesalers, distributors and marketers of organic food products.
Certified Grass-Fed Organic certification to organic farmers and handlers with Grass-Fed livestock products.
Salmon-Safe
Salmon-Safe certification to organic farmers — crop and livestock — that further protect biodiversity and aquatic habitat while helping to redefine the practice of ecologically sustainable agriculture.
Fiber and Textiles
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), an organic certification program dedicated to fiber and textile handling and production.
Restaurants & Retailers
Retail stores and restaurants that sell organic products to the consumer, either as fresh produce, packaged goods or ready-to-eat meals.
Bee Better Certified™
Certification program that identifies and celebrates farmers and businesses that adopt farm management practices that support pollinators.
International Programs
Access to export opportunities for raw and processed organic products to international markets.
OUR TEAM
Client Services Teams are regulatory experts who are responsible for providing certification decisions, answering questions, and offering personalized support through the certification process. Our teams are committed to providing exceptional customer service to clients while promoting sustainable and environmentally responsible farming and handling practices.
You will be assigned a Client Services Team for the lifetime of your certification. They will be your go-to for all certification-related questions, inquiries, and final decisions. Oregon Tilth teams are different colors: Red, Orange, Yellow, Blue, Green, Indigo.
Inspectors are professionals with expertise in organic agriculture and food processing, and they undergo rigorous training to ensure that they can effectively evaluate compliance to organic certification standards.
They are responsible for visiting and auditing the operations of clients who are seeking organic certification to ensure that they meet the standards set forth by the National Organic Program.
It is important to remember that inspectors cannot offer certification decisions or advice. Their main role is to observe and report.
Support staff: Technical specialists, educators, policy advocates, marketing, administrative, IT, finance, and many more who are responsible for making sure that Oregon Tilth runs smoothly. These are the people that ensure a seamless experience for you as a client pursuing organic certification.
THE CERTIFICATION
PROCESS STEP-BY-STEP:
Here are the basic steps that you must undergo each year to maintain your organic certification, no matter what scope your operation is certified to. We will go into more depth about each of these steps in the following pages. Briefly, they are:
Initial Review for Certification Renewal: You will be sent a renewal that will include an OSP Update Form to confirm your current Organic Systems plan on file is still accurate, or indicate that there have been changes in the previous year. Once that document (including any changes to your operating system) and payment are received, you will proceed to our inspections department to schedule your annual inspection. A member of the Client Services Team will notify you once the review is complete.
Mandatory Annual Inspection: Your inspector will reach out to you to schedule your inspection at a time that works well for your team while still meeting compliance deadlines.
Review and Certification Decision: Your Client Services Team will review your inspection report and determine if your operation is in compliance with NOP standards.
Renewal: This is when you’ll notify us of any updates to your operation, and when you pay your certification fees for the coming year. This is separate from your inspection and final review. Your renewal deadline will either be January 1 or April 1, depending on what time of year your application is processed.
WHAT THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS ENTAILS
Start Your Certification Journey
Your Organic System Plan (OSP)
Initial Review
Your Organic System Plan (OSP)
The Organic System Plan (OSP) is the foundation of the organic certification process. It is a living document which will reflect the current state of your organic systems at any time. When you first apply for organic certification with Oregon Tilth, you will work with the Applicant Experience Team to submit your OSP for review – this is essentially your application for certification.
The importance of your OSP cannot be over-emphasized, as it is the backbone of your organic operation. It is a comprehensive document that outlines the strategies, practices, and measures implemented by operators to ensure compliance with organic standards.
Throughout the entire lifetime of your certification, if you make any changes to any element reflected in your OSP, you must let us know so your plan can be updated accordingly. During your annual renewal period, we will also ask you if you have made any changes to your OSP.
Initial Review
Once a complete application is received, Oregon Tilth assigns it to a review team to conduct a thorough desk review of all submitted materials to USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards.
The review team carefully evaluates the applicant’s OSP to ensure the operator will maintain compliance, including details on practices, inputs, and recordkeeping systems.
All input products listed in the application are cross-referenced against the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances to confirm their suitability for use in organic production.
• Reviewers of Crop OSPs assess field histories, buffer zone descriptions, and any documentation related to the land’s transition to organic management.
• For Livestock operations, reviewers additionally examine animal health care practices, living conditions, access to pasture documentation, and the source and certification status of feed to ensure compliance with NOP livestock standards.
• For Handling operations, reviewers assess facility descriptions, cleaning and sanitation protocols, pest management practices, and product flow to evaluate the prevention of commingling and contamination of organic products.
If areas of concern or gaps in compliance are identified during this review, the applicant is issued a Request for Information (RFI), asking them to provide clarification or additional documentation before the process moves forward. Once the review team is satisfied that the operation demonstrates a strong foundation for
compliance with NOP standards, the application advances to the next stage, in which an on-site inspection is scheduled with an independent, accredited inspector.
What Happens During an Inspection and What to Prepare For
Overview: All certified operations are subject to a mandatory annual inspection within the calendar year. Operations that make substantial production or operational changes during the course of a certification year may be required to undergo an additional inspection. All operations may be selected for an unannounced or sample inspection at any time.
How it will be scheduled: You will receive an email from an Oregon Tilth team member that identifies your assigned inspector, and will help to coordinate the date and time of your inspection. It is important that you are communicative and respond to scheduling requests throughout the process.
What to expect: Preparation and organization are key. Throughout the year, check to make sure your Organic System Plan modules measures are up-to-date and accurate. It’s best to review and organize pre-inspection checklists and common records that will be inspected. In addition, conducting practice audit exercises can provide you with a better understanding of how to support the inspection process.
Once finished, our inspector will review the inspection with you and provide a summary of any additional information required, changes to your OSP, or noted concerns on the exit interview form. The inspection report will be posted to your MyOTCO file upon completion.
What to have ready:
Oregon Tilth has pre-inspection checklists available for each scope, to help you know what to have prepared.
These can be found in the ‘resources’ section of this guide, at our website, or by contacting your client services team.
Final Review & Certification Decision
After your inspection, your inspector will write up a report of their findings, and share it with your Client Services Team. Your Client Services Team will then review this inspection report and determine if you are in compliance with organic regulations Oftentimes this review will entail requests for additional information and more explanation around your organic practices. Your Client Services Team may also provide you with helpful reminders and work with you on action plans to correct any deficiencies or processes out of place.
They may also issue you a noncompliance, based on the findings of the inspector or lack of detail in the submitted OSP.
Please note that a noncompliance is not a threat – it can be viewed as a correctable area of improvement that your review team has identified, which will help keep you in compliance with regulations.
As long as you follow the action plan you provide to correct the noncompliance which is approved by your Client Services Team, the noncompliance will be resolved.
The review process can take weeks to months, depending on the complexity of your operation, the findings of the inspector, how long requests for information take to complete, and other factors. Once the final review is complete, the operation is logged in the Organic Integrity Database as being fully certified, and your Client Services Team will let you know when your review is complete.
An organic certificate is then issued by email or printed and mailed according to client preferences.
Renewal
As a client of Oregon Tilth, you are required to submit renewal paperwork annually to maintain compliance with the standards set forth by the NOP. This is your opportunity to review your paperwork, and report any changes that may have been missed throughout the year.
It is also an opportunity to report upcoming changes to your operation.
When you are initially certified by Oregon Tilth, you will be assigned a January 1 or April 1 renewal deadline. These are the dates by which you must submit your renewal application.
This renewal application should cover any changes to your Organic System Plan (OSP), as well as a report of accurate sales figures from the previous year.
Renewal fees may be paid during the renewal process, or our accounting department will issue you an invoice once the renewal is processed. The fees you pay at renewal time are commonly referred to as your certification fees.
Our renewal form is available on our website. Please have the prior year’s sales information ready when completing the renewal. The form typically takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Hard copy and electronic versions may be requested from your client service team.
Product additions submitted with your renewal are processed free of charge. New products submitted outside of the renewal cycle will be billed at the normal “mid-year addition” rate, as discussed in the fee section.
However, please keep in mind that the best way to maintain compliance and avoid issues at inspection is to notify your Client Services Team as new products are
being developed. We will send you renewal reminders as the date approaches with instructions for completion.
It is important to remember that renewal of your certification is a separate process from the inspection and certification decision.
Noncompliances
Throughout your certification lifecycle, you may receive a ‘reminder’ or a notice of ‘noncompliance’. A noncompliance is issued when an inspection, review, or investigation reveals that your operation is not compliant with the relevant standards, but the concern brought up is correctable.
A reminder is typically issued for minor issues that do not need immediate corrective action, but which should be kept in mind to remain compliant.
It is important to note that noncompliances are not issued as threats, and that they do not carry accusatory implications. Please see them instead as an opportunity to work with us in order to keep your operation in compliance with NOP standards.
In the event that you receive a noncompliance, a timely and thorough response is critical for bringing your situation to a resolution. Be sure to read and understand the noncompliance issued, and what is being requested of you to address it. We will provide supporting documents, as appropriate, to show additional context for the cited issue.
Common Issues That Can Affect Your Certification
A few recurring issues can lead to noncompliances or delays in certification:
• Unpaid fees: One of the most common issues. If you’re having trouble paying certification or inspection fees, please reach out, we’re here to help.
• Missed inspections: When your inspector reaches out to schedule your inspection, please coordinate with them. Not doing so may lead to non-compliance.
If your operation fails to adequately respond to the issues brought up by the notice of noncompliance, we may proceed to having to issue an adverse action. An adverse action can include proposing denial, suspension, or revocation of certification. Operations that receive an adverse action may be eligible to request mediation or appeal the decision. More information on this process can be found in our Procedures Manual
• Late renewals: Submit your renewal materials by your due date to keep your certification active.
• Unreported changes: Notify us in advance of any new inputs, land, products, or facilities so we can update your Organic System Plan.
• Outdated contacts: Let us know if your primary contact changes so important updates don’t get lost.
In short: communication is key. Stay in touch, keep your information current, and watch for messages from us to ensure a smooth certification experience.
GROWING FORWARD TOGETHER
Organic certification is an ongoing process, one that evolves alongside your operation and the broader organic community. At Oregon Tilth, we view this work as a shared commitment grounded in trust, transparency, and stewardship.
By understanding the certification process, maintaining open communication, and keeping your Organic System Plan accurate and up to date, you play an essential role in protecting organic integrity while strengthening your operation for long-term success.
Our team is here to support you throughout every stage of certification, offering guidance, education, and thoughtful partnership as you navigate both the responsibilities and the opportunities of organic certification.
Together, we are building a resilient, equitable, and values-driven food system, grounded in integrity and sustained through connection.
Contact Information:
For all questions related to your certification status, review, inspection, and more please contact your Client Services Team:
Red: red@tilth.org | (541) 241-8037
Orange: orange@tilth.org | (541) 226-3176
Yellow: yellow@tilth.org | (541) 279-2232
Green: green@tilth.org | (541) 304-2302
Blue: blue@tilth.org | (541) 279-2676
Indigo: indigo@tilth.org | (541) 291-4919
If you don’t know who your Client Services Team is, please contact our main office and you will be directed to the right team: organic@tilth.org | (503) 378-0690
For all questions related to billing, please contact our finance department: accounts@tilth.org | (503) 378-0690
To request a transaction certificate, and for export-related questions, please reach out to our export department: export@tilth.org
