The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food’s Organic Certification Program was recognized as one of ten recipients of this year’s Investing in INTEGRITY Data Quality Awards from the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP). Organic data reporting advances both market development and robust enforcement. This award celebrates those who exceeded requirements for delivering high quality data to the Organic INTEGRITY Database in 2020.
R-L: Nicole Hobbs, Brooke Hobbs, and Shayley Cartwright
“Certifiers play a critical role in organic oversight and enforcement,” said Jennifer Tucker, who heads the NOP. “Quality, timely data deters fraud by making it faster for investigators to identify high risk activities and focus additional enforcement resources to protect the organic market.”
Up-to-date public information about organic operations also helps buyers and sellers find each other in the marketplace, making data an important market development tool. The database lists certified products for each farm and business, providing a resource for other companies looking for certified organic ingredients or needing to bolster their supplies.
“I’m proud of the work these folks have done and continue to do to make the Organic Program one of the best in the country. They continue to expand and provide valuable resources for the producers and consumers of this state.” — Robert Hougaard, UDAF Director of Plant Industry.
Learn more about UDAF’s Organic Certification Program here and find a link to the USDA Organic INTEGRITY Database here.
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