Oregon Tilth values the National Organic Standards Board’s work on commercial availability of organic seed and offers input as both an accredited certifier and an advocate for seed research and trials. We have observed steady improvements in organic seed use among producers, even if data collection methods remain limited.

We believe organic seed sourcing is already well supported by existing regulations, inspection reports, and documentation requirements. Adding prescriptive requirements, such as calculating percentages of organic versus non-organic seed or requiring multi-year data reviews, would be overly burdensome and not always accurate.

Compliance should focus on reasonable search efforts, commonly defined as checking at least three sources, and enforcement should reflect continuous improvement rather than rigid timelines for penalties.

While databases and contract requirements may help promote organic seed, they must be practical and reflective of real-world conditions such as crop form, quality, and geography.

We encourage continued collaboration among certifiers, producers, and the National Organic Program to collect and share meaningful data. This will help measure actual progress and support effective strategies to expand organic seed availability without creating unnecessary barriers for producers.

If you want to learn more, read the full document below:

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