H.R. 7406 — Meeting Demand for Organic Produce Act

This section revises national standards for organic production under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6504) to allow non-livestock agricultural products to qualify as organic if produced either on land free of prohibited substances, including synthetic chemicals, for the three years preceding harvest or in soil or growing medium confirmed free of such substances prior to planting through testing or other Secretary-certified methods (adding an alternative verification option to the existing three-year prohibition). (As background, the three-year land history requirement ensures no residue from prohibited substances affects organic crops.) It further requires the Secretary to issue an advance notice of proposed rulemaking within 60 days of enactment to develop guidelines and criteria ensuring the accuracy and reliability of those verification methods. This section makes parallel changes to wild crop management provisions (7 U.S.C. 6513(f)), adding a testing or certification option in lieu of a three-year requirement and directing a similar advance notice of proposed rulemaking within 60 days of enactment. (Thus, producers of organic crops and wild crops may transition land or collection areas to organic status more quickly via verified testing.)