Aug 19, 2020

USDA adds to ‘organic integrity’ courses

The USDA last week announced two new courses and other upgrades to its Organic Integrity Learning Center.

The online learning program supports the ongoing professional development of people working in organic certification and compliance and enforcement roles. The new courses are titled “Organic Fraud and the Criminal Mind,” and “Traceability Techniques.”

“Fraud anywhere in the organic system hurts organic farmers,” according to a description of the course. “Taught by an expert in food fraud, this course focuses on how the criminal mind works, so you can help deter fraud in the global organic supply chain.”

The second class “explains and demonstrates two types of audits: a trace-back audit and a mass balance audit,” according to the USDA:

“Traceability audits provide a window into the procedures of an operation and identify procedural weaknesses that may impact organic integrity. These audits are complex processes that require special technical and interpersonal skills from an inspector.”

A new learning platform

The Learning Center recently migrated to Genius, a new student information system with expanded features. Participants can now generate course completion certificates and print a transcript that shows course completions.

Folks with an account may access the Learning Center here.

Individuals hoping to open a new, free account should read “Getting Started” and sign up online.

For questions about the Learning Center, contact USDA-NOP@apvit.com.