Japan, U.S. Come to Organic Certification Agreement

Japan, U.S. Come to Organic Certification Agreement

GREENFIELD, Mass.--The Organic Trade Association (OTA) on March 27 announced an equivalency agreement had been reached between the United States and Japan in regard to the sale of U.S. plant-based organic products in Japan. Over the past year, OTA representatives have been working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service and Japan to institute interim provisions that will allow U.S. organic products to continue being sold in Japan. The equivalency agreement was instated to expedite U.S. organic product trade to Japan after the interim period expired March 31.

"[OTA's] International Relations Committee's Task Force on Japan played a vital role in these negotiations by providing information and strategic advice to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service," said Katherine DiMatteo, OTA executive director.

These negotiations were prompted, in part, by the passage of Japanese organic regulations in April 2001. The regulations require that all produce, commodities, raw ingredients and processed plant-based food labeled as organic in Japan carry the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) mark, which requires recertification by a Japanese certification agency.

However, under the new agreement, Japan recognized the U.S. National Organic Program (NOP) as an equivalent system of oversight, enforcement and standards. As a result, organic plant-based food products certified by a USDA-accredited agency can be used by any JAS-certified company, including importers, manufacturers and distributors. USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service will be the designated party for issuing export transaction certificates to accredited certification agents who will provide them to client companies exporting products to Japan. The agreement also includes provisions covering JAS labeling rules.

The recognition agreement, however, does stipulate that alkili-extracted humic acid, lignin sulfonate and potassium bicarbonate may not be used in raw or processed organic food exported to Japan. These substances, however, are allowed under the U.S. organic standards.