USDA shares 2021 Peer Review Report and NOP response

WASHINGTON – The National Organic Program (NOP) is committed to continuous improvement. This commitment includes an annual peer review process, to continually strengthen its organic accreditation and enforcement program. The annual peer review process is conducted using the Handbook document, Peer Review of National Organic Program Accreditation.

NOP has published the 2021 Peer Review Report and its response to the review. The 2021 report recommends one area of improvement: risk impartiality analysis.

In response, the NOP has asked the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to review and facilitate public comment on its draft Risk Mitigation Table, outlining how the program safeguards impartiality in its oversight and enforcement activities.