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Defined by the National Organic Standards Board, NOSB, April 1995:
Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances
biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm
inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony. "Organic"
is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods
Production Act¹. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices
that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming
system into an ecological whole. Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are
completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and
water. Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the
integrity of organic agricultural products. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize
the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people.
¹ The National Organic Program (NOP), which was implemented in October of 2002, supercedes the Organic Food Production Act as the authority under which organic products are produced.
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