November 20, 2013
A new equivalency agreement signed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Japan Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau will allow organic products certified in Japan or in the United States to be sold as organic in either country. The agreement will take effect on January 1, 2014.
The agreement will allow organic products to be certified in one of the countries and be sold as organic in both and will also allow producers to sell their products in both countries without going through the lengthy process of getting certified twice.
This partnership between two significant organic markets will streamline U.S. farmers' and processors' access to the growing Japanese organic market, benefiting the rapidly growing organic industry and supporting job creation and business growth on a global scale.