Definition:
After congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990, an organic Federal Advisory Committee, was appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. This advisory committee, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), is comprised of 15 members gathered from within the organic community.
Specifically, NOSB is made up of the following general individuals at any given time:
- Four farmers/growers
- Three environmentalists/resource conservationists
- Three consumer/public interest advocates
- Two handlers/processors
- One retailer
- One scientist (toxicology, ecology, or biochemistry)
- One USDA accredited certifying agent
Among other things, NOSB helps develop standards and programs for the National Organic Program (NOP).
