During the organic certification process, one of the first terms you'll hear from your organic certifying agent is, "Organic system plan." Your organic system plan, or OSP, is very important and without it, you simply won't be certified organic.
Now, what exactly is the OSP?
National Organic Program Standards requires every single farm, ranch or handling operation seeking organic certification to submit an initial organic system plan (OSP).
The OSP is a general management plan of an organic production or handling operation. The plan should include all aspects of the various organic handling and production methods that will be used by the operation. For example, growing practices, animal management, record-keeping policies and more are covered by the OSP.
After becoming certified the organic farm, ranch or handling operation must submit an updated OSP annually. Additionally, OSP updates must be provided whenever operational changes are made.
Because an OSP must cover so much information, it may seem overwhelming to create one. However, in most cases, it's not too bad. Typically, organic certifying agencies will provide templates and / or questionnaires to the individual seeking certification that aim to solicit the information necessary to complete an OSP.
Is anyone exempt from an OSP?
Any organic producer or organic handler who is exempt or excluded under §205.101 does not need to complete an OSP.
