1. What is NOP? NOP是什么？
The National Organic Program (NOP) is part of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). After several years of discussions between organic market stakeholders, the NOP Final Rule came into force in 2002. The complete standard can be downloaded from www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm (Please be aware that most of the more than 500 pages contained in this document are made up by a summary of comments and discussions. The proper standard starts from page 344!).
国家有机工程是美国农业局的组成部分。经过有机物市场的占有者几年的讨论，其最后的规章制度于2002年生效。这些规章制度的完整标准版可从www.amsosda.gov/nop/indexle.htm下载。（请注意：这个新文件中500多页中的大部分是评论及讨论性的。严格意义上的标准版是从344页开始）
2. Who needs to be NOP certified？为什么需要NOP认证？
Any grower or handler, who wants to sell organic products on the US market, must be certified according to NOP by a USDA accredited certifier. Also your suppliers of organic ingredients must be NOP certified. The only exceptions are:
● Smallholders with less than 5,000 USD annual turnover from organic sales, who do sell their products directly to the consumer
● Retailers
● Operations, which handle agricultural products containing less than 70% of organic ingredients, or only identify some organic ingredients on the information panel. Products from these companies cannot be used as organic ingredients in NOP certified processed food.
Operations, which only handle packaged organic food (§ 205.101).
任何（想）打算在美国市场上出售有机产品的生产商和经销商，都必须（根据该国农业局）通过NOP的认证，而且NOP的认证是由美国农业局签订合格的。有机成份供应商也必须由NOP认证。
仅有以下几例除外：
● 出售有机产品年营业额少于5000美元的小农户。可以直接将产品卖给消费者。
● 零售商
● 经销有机成分不到70%的农产品公司，或其产品的成份与某些有机成份相似的公司的产品无需作为加工食品的有机物成份通过NOP的认证。
仅以经营有机食品包装的公司。
3. Some general issues, which distinguish NOP from the EU Regulation on organic farming, and from other organic standards .NOP与欧盟的有机农产品条例及其它有机物验证标准的主要不同之处：
（1） NOP gives high priority to the organic farm's or company's own responsibility: In an organic management plan (called by NOP "organic production and handling system plan") the operator describes and defines procedures to assure the organic integrity (§ 205.201). As a first step the certifier checks, whether these procedures are compliant with NOP, and whether they are really implemented. CERES has adopted this same approach also for EU and JAS certification. NOP给予自负盈亏的有机物农场或加工有机物农产品的公司极大的优先权：在有机物管理计划（NOP称其为有机产品及经营体制方案）经营者阐述并规定确保有机正题的程序。认证的第一步检查这些程序是否与NOP相符，是否真正可行。CERES对欧盟和日本农业有机法也采取了同样的认证方式。
（2） The term "conversion" or "transition" does not exist in NOP. Farm management prior to organic certification is treated under "Land requirements" (§ 205.202). Land to be certified according to NOP must be managed according to the standard, and must not have received prohibited substances during 3 years before the first organic harvest. Conversion period needs not to be supervised by a certifier (see also our "Brief Information Crops"). NOP中没有“转变”或“过渡”这样的术语。农田管理机制先于有机物认证资格，它是针对“所需土地的条件”而出台的。按NOP规定，要经过认证的土地须按标准经营，而且在第一次有机农产品成熟前的3年（的时间）内不能使用被禁止的物质。转换期不必通过认证人员的监督。（详见我们的“作物简介”）。
（3） NOP is very strict concerning treatment of animal manure (§ 205.203). Manure must be subject to composting at high temperature during at least 2 weeks, during which the material must be turned a minimum of five times. Raw manure may be applied only 4 months before harvest (in case there is a possible contact with the edible part of the plant), or 3 months (if there is no contact risk with the edible part). NOP对动物的粪便处理非常严格――规定其粪便必须在至少2周内堆制成肥料，在这期间所制成的堆肥其功效要小于之前粪便的五倍。在收获作物前4个月（这样以免粪便与有机植物的可食用部位接触）或3个月（如果其没有与食用部分接触的可能），没有经过堆肥的粪便方可使用。
（4） NOP requires "buffer zones" between organic and conventional fields, whenever there is a risk of contact with prohibited substances (pesticides, fertilisers) (§ 205.202). CERES, however, applies this rule also for EU certification (see our "Policy on Buffer Zones"). NOP要求在有机田与常规/普通田之间有些“隔离区“，尽管这可能会接触到被禁止使用物质（如杀虫剂、化肥）的危险（§ 205.202）然而CERES也把这一规定作为欧盟的认证资格之一（详见”隔离区“策略）。
（5） Rules for organic livestock production (§ 205.236 through 205.239) are strict, allowing only organic feed, and restricting purchase of conventional animals. After allopathic veterinary treatments, animals have to undergo the complete conversion period. On the other side, rules for livestock housing and living conditions are much less detailed than, e.g., in the EU Regulation (see also our "Brief Information Animals"). NOP对有机生畜的饲养所作的规定也很严格，只准有机饲养，严禁购买常规动物。经过对抗疗法的兽医治疗后，动物就会完全进入转换期。另一方面，对生畜的圈舍和生活条件的规定却不如欧盟对此规定的详细（详见“动物简介）。
（6） Labelling requirements for multi-ingredient food products are somehow different from the EU Regulation and JAS. On the one hand, there is a "100% organic" category. On the other hand, even on products with less than 70% organic ingredients, reference can be made to "organic" for single ingredients on the information panel (§ 205.300 through 205.305, see below N° 4, and also our "Brief Information Processing"). （商标）对多成份的食用产品的商标要求与欧盟的规则和日本农业标准的要求不尽相同。但一方面，NOP有“100%有机物”类别，另一方面，NOP对即使有机成份少于70%的产品也在信息栏上标清某一成份的有机份额来源。
（7） Use of inputs, additives, aids, and ingredients is regulated by "The National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances", for crop and livestock production, handling and storage (§ 205.600 through 205.606). The general rationale behind the National List is:
Nonsynthetic substances are allowed, unless they ar
