In 1990, the Organic Foods Production Act (Act) established national standards for the production and handling of organic products and required the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to issue regulations to implement the legislation. The Secretary delegated the functions of the Act to the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), and through regulations effective in October 2002, the National Organic Program (NOP) was created to administer these standards and to require mandatory certification of organic production. The Act also required the Secretary to establish the National Organic Standards Board (Board) to assist in the development of standards for substances to be used in.
