1. Executive Summary
California leads the nation in organic farms, land in organic production, and organic sales.
According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, organic acreage has grown nation wide 46% from 2008 to 2014.
California alone produced over $2.2 billion in organic agriculture in 2014.
Accounting for more than 40% of the nation’s organic production.

2. IMPACT OF AB 1826 AND Organic Stakeholders Working Group Recommendations

3. Primary Changes to the Sate Organic Program
Amends-Renames current “California Organic Products Act of 2003” to “California Organic Food and Farming Act of 2016”
Add – (46002(c)) – Clarifies the Purpose of the SOP
Amends – Changes Membership makeup of California Organic Products Advisory Committee
Amends Definitions:

4. Agricultural Commissioners, Secretary, State Public Health Officers (Ex Officio Members) COPAC COMMITTEE
Adds ( ) -Offers COPAC Consultative Role In Program Functions And Activities
Adds a seat on the committee for Accredited Certifying Agent

5. Registration and Late Fees
Amends – Fees Based On Total Gross Sales ( (e) And Consolidates And Eliminates Certain Fee Classifications And Renders Certain Operation Types Exempt From Registration And Fees
Adds – Specifies That Fee Adoption And Regulations Are Exempt From APA
Adds – Authorizes The Secretary To Pursue State And Federal Funds For Enactment
Adds – Authorizes A Certification Agency To Remit Registration Fees On Behalf Of Their Clients

6. Registration –continued
Amends - Require Registration With The Department Of Food And Agriculture For All Producers, Handlers, And Processors Not Registered With The California Dept. Of Public Health ( )
Removes - Registration Requirements For Retailers, Multi Ingredient Products, Commission Merchant
Removes - Registration With California Agriculture Commissioners First

7. Registration - continued
Deleted – Require Registrant To Provide Registration Copy To CAC ( )
Amends – To Be Completed On Form Identified By Secretary
Delete – Commodity List
Add - Categorical Products ( (d)(1): Reported As
Citrus, Fruit And Vegetable Row Crops, Livestock And Dairy, Stone Fruit, Tree Fruit, Tree Nuts, Other, Which Includes, But Is Not Limited To Organic Fallow Ground, Herbs And Mushrooms, Cut Flowers, Nursery, And Apiary

8. Registration - continued
Form details changes
Removes Reporting Requirement For The Following:
Names And Registration Numbers
Detailed Description & Dimension Of Facility, Farm
For Exempt Producers; A Map Including Boundaries
Adjacent Land Use
Land Use History (Prior 36 Months)

9. Commodity List

10. Registration - continued
Removes Reporting Requirement For The Following:
All Substances Applied, Rate Of Applications And Total Applied
Public Information Sheet Details (Name Of Registrant, Nature Of Business, Categorical Products), Shall Be Made Available Only Upon Request
Gross Sales By Commodity And By Acreage

11. Registration - continued
Adds – Total Gross Sales (in toto)
Adds – ( ) – Authorizes A Certification Agency To Register And Submit Fees To SOP On Behalf Of Their Clients
Amends – All Producers, Handlers Or Retailers Must Retain Records, As Required By The Secretary And COPAC (46028)

12. Registration – continued
Deleted records retention Items:
Quantity harvested from field and date of harvest
Suppliers of livestock, fish or fowl
Substances applied, soil, irrigation, post harvest procedures, and quantity of substances applied (including pesticides)
All substances fed to animals

13. Registration - continued
Deleted Records Retention Items:
Transfer Of Title For Certification
Pre Sale Transactions

14. Registration - continued
Adds – ( ) – Certification agencies must make records accessible within 72 hours of a request by Secretary or CAC including:
Records from applicants
Records created by certifying agent
Records kept per NOP regulation

15. Summary of Changes Replace California Organic Products Act of 2003
Adds and clarifies the role of the SOP
Make available statistics, enforcement actions and activities through various media
Reduce registration detail and some fee types
Reduce available operation activities detail
Consolidate and regroup commodity list

16. Summary of Changes
Changes the registration process and procedure by bypassing the counties and requiring the state to process and approve all registrations
Promote organic industry more directly
Expend funds to provide training, education, outreach and guidance to the industry
Promote Transition to Organic
Create Research and Marketing promotion
Pursue state and federal funds to assist in program functions and reimburse industry costs