The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Inspection Services Division (ISD) fosters climate-smart, resilient and regenerative food systems while also maintaining the integrity of the organic seal.
ISD’s efforts toward climate-smart agriculture include working with industry, academia, government and stakeholders to facilitate innovation, incentivize upcycling of by-products from human food, fiber and biofuel production to livestock feed, and fund research to help farmers maintain environmental stewardship.
Examples of this highlighted in the ISD 2023 Annual Report are the Commercial Feed Regulatory Program cohosting a conference about animal agriculture reducing methane emissions and receiving report that the California feed industry diverted 747,903 tons of human food by-products to livestock feed instead of landfills. ISD’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program also awarded $653,067 in grant funding to advance California growers’ understanding and implementation of improved nitrogen and irrigation management practices.
ISD’s efforts toward maintaining the integrity of organic agriculture for farmers purchasing fertilizer and consumers buying organic produce include protecting the organic label through enforcement, education and outreach.
Examples of this highlighted in the ISD 2023 Annual Report are the California State Organic Program conducting 1,779 inspections, the Organic Certification Cost Share Program helping producers and handlers reduce the cost of organic certification, the Organic Input Material Program reviewing and registering 1,488 organic fertilizer labels, and the OCal Cannabis Certification Program overseeing the certification of 22 companies to be able to sell cannabis with an OCal seal signifying it was produced in a way comparable to organic standards of the National Organic Program.
Click here to view the Inspection Services Division 2023 Annual Report for further details.