AMS–NOP–17–0065; National Organic Program; Strengthening Organic Enforcement

Phone: 650.723.2465
Fax: 650.725.0253

Type: Regulation
Date: 10/05/2020
Agency: USDA
Jurisdiction: United States
Type of Law: Federal
Status: Proposed
Official URL: External link

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) said it expects electronic tracking systems, including digital ledger technology (DLT), will play an “essential role” in the traceability of its supply chain of organic products. However, the agency acknowledged that utilizing an emergent technology like DLT would require additional time and development before a system could be implemented in the organic food industry. The USDA report did not mention blockchain technology by name, but cited several pilot programs as references, including Walmart using blockchain traceability systems for mangos and pork, Swiss-headquartered food retail giant Nestlé testing a public blockchain for its milk supply chain, and U.S.-based seafood firm Bumble Bee Foods monitoring the supply chain of yellowfin tuna from Indonesia.