Farmshare Austin

Certified Organic

This is food or agricultural practices that comply with the standards of organic farming. These standards may vary worldwide, but generally speaking, organic means that pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemical additives/amendments are restricted, in the aim of protecting ecological biodiversity. For a farm or a food to be certified organic in the US, they need to obtain a special certification from the governmental food safety authority, the National Organic Program of the USDA. Organic foods are increasingly demanded by the consumer, from a concern for personal health and for the ecosystem.  There are many ways to become Certified Organic, but the most common one for the US is the government agency USDA Organic. Organic certification requires that farmers and handlers document their processes and get inspected every year. Organic producers rely on natural substances and physical, mechanical, or biologically based farming methods to the fullest extent possible.UD