CDFA Commodities Test Questions With All Complete
Solutions
What is the NOP? - Answer-National Organics Program; est after Organic Food Prod
Act of 1990; Made into law in Oct 2002; Does NOT cover non-food items
/.Why National Organic Standards? - Answer-Uniformity among standards; Uniformity
among certifying agents; Assurance of organic integrity
/.What is organic food? - Answer-Meets NOP standards; grown without use of most
conventional pesticides, fertilizers made w/synthetic ing./sewer sludge, bioengineering,
or ionizing radiation.
/.organic agriculture - Answer-Set biological, cultural & mechanical practices that
support the cycling of farm resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve
biodiversity.
/.National Organic Standards for Crop Production - Answer-No prohibited substance for
3 years prior to harvest.
Establish buffer zones.
Improve soil conditions & reduce erosion.
Crop rotation, cover crop, compost...
Reduce environmental contamination.
/.How do you improve soil fertility? - Answer-Compost, animal manures, green manures,
cover crop & mulches.
/.Seeds & Planting stock organic standards - Answer-May use conventional seeds if
organic seeds are not available but only if seeds have not been genetically modified or
treated with prohibited substances i.e. fungicides.
/.What are the benefits of crop rotation? - Answer-Interrupt insect life cycles; suppress
soil borne plant diseases; prevent soil erosion; build organic matter/fix nitrogen;
increase farm biodiversity
/.National Organic Standards for Animal Production - Answer-Organic management
starts from last third of gestation (2nd day of life for poultry); 100% organic feed, no
synthetic hormones or antibiotics; synthetic vitamins & trace minerals allowed.
/.Organic Milk - Answer-At least one year under organic management.
/.How do you convert and entire dairy herd to organic production? - Answer-Providing
80% produced feed for 9 months, followed by 3 months 100% organically produced
feed.
, /.•Any producer, handler, or processor with an annually gross sale of $_____ or more
must be certified. - Answer-$5000
/.Who does organic certification? - Answer-•Certification is done by USDA accredited
certifying agents (ACA).
/.When can the producer be exempt from certification? - Answer-•Exempt producer,
handler can be certified and market their product as being certified.
/.How long shall organic records be kept for? - Answer-5 years
/.How long is the organic certification good for? - Answer-Until the client closes their
account with the certifier or if it is revoked by CDFA or USDA through process of law.
/.What is COPA? - Answer-California Organic Production Act. •Requires that food
produced and sold as organic must meet specified standard.
•It requires annual registration of all processors, growers and handlers of commodities
labeled as organic.
/.What year was the COPA signed into law? - Answer-2003
/.Who should register as organic by CDFA? - Answer-Organic producers & handlers
/.Who processes the organic registration? - Answer-County AG Commissioner
/.What is the fee for registration? - Answer-Registration fee is based on annual gross
sales
/.How long is registration good for? - Answer-1 year
/.When is registration due? - Answer-Before first sale of organic product
/.When is the registration fee $100? - Answer-When selling multi-ingredient product with
less than 70% organic, when handling product without taking title or managing sale of
product (brokers); retail stores
/.When do retailers have to be certified? - Answer-If they process, package, repackage,
label, or re-label certified organic as "certified" organic must be certified
/.Retailers are responsible for maintaining organic integrity by: - Answer-Preventing
commingling, ensure proper labeling, keeping records (5 yrs), using proper facility pest
management
/.What are the four categories of organic? - Answer-100% organic;
Organic (at least 95% organic, remaining 5% on National list);
Solutions
What is the NOP? - Answer-National Organics Program; est after Organic Food Prod
Act of 1990; Made into law in Oct 2002; Does NOT cover non-food items
/.Why National Organic Standards? - Answer-Uniformity among standards; Uniformity
among certifying agents; Assurance of organic integrity
/.What is organic food? - Answer-Meets NOP standards; grown without use of most
conventional pesticides, fertilizers made w/synthetic ing./sewer sludge, bioengineering,
or ionizing radiation.
/.organic agriculture - Answer-Set biological, cultural & mechanical practices that
support the cycling of farm resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve
biodiversity.
/.National Organic Standards for Crop Production - Answer-No prohibited substance for
3 years prior to harvest.
Establish buffer zones.
Improve soil conditions & reduce erosion.
Crop rotation, cover crop, compost...
Reduce environmental contamination.
/.How do you improve soil fertility? - Answer-Compost, animal manures, green manures,
cover crop & mulches.
/.Seeds & Planting stock organic standards - Answer-May use conventional seeds if
organic seeds are not available but only if seeds have not been genetically modified or
treated with prohibited substances i.e. fungicides.
/.What are the benefits of crop rotation? - Answer-Interrupt insect life cycles; suppress
soil borne plant diseases; prevent soil erosion; build organic matter/fix nitrogen;
increase farm biodiversity
/.National Organic Standards for Animal Production - Answer-Organic management
starts from last third of gestation (2nd day of life for poultry); 100% organic feed, no
synthetic hormones or antibiotics; synthetic vitamins & trace minerals allowed.
/.Organic Milk - Answer-At least one year under organic management.
/.How do you convert and entire dairy herd to organic production? - Answer-Providing
80% produced feed for 9 months, followed by 3 months 100% organically produced
feed.
, /.•Any producer, handler, or processor with an annually gross sale of $_____ or more
must be certified. - Answer-$5000
/.Who does organic certification? - Answer-•Certification is done by USDA accredited
certifying agents (ACA).
/.When can the producer be exempt from certification? - Answer-•Exempt producer,
handler can be certified and market their product as being certified.
/.How long shall organic records be kept for? - Answer-5 years
/.How long is the organic certification good for? - Answer-Until the client closes their
account with the certifier or if it is revoked by CDFA or USDA through process of law.
/.What is COPA? - Answer-California Organic Production Act. •Requires that food
produced and sold as organic must meet specified standard.
•It requires annual registration of all processors, growers and handlers of commodities
labeled as organic.
/.What year was the COPA signed into law? - Answer-2003
/.Who should register as organic by CDFA? - Answer-Organic producers & handlers
/.Who processes the organic registration? - Answer-County AG Commissioner
/.What is the fee for registration? - Answer-Registration fee is based on annual gross
sales
/.How long is registration good for? - Answer-1 year
/.When is registration due? - Answer-Before first sale of organic product
/.When is the registration fee $100? - Answer-When selling multi-ingredient product with
less than 70% organic, when handling product without taking title or managing sale of
product (brokers); retail stores
/.When do retailers have to be certified? - Answer-If they process, package, repackage,
label, or re-label certified organic as "certified" organic must be certified
/.Retailers are responsible for maintaining organic integrity by: - Answer-Preventing
commingling, ensure proper labeling, keeping records (5 yrs), using proper facility pest
management
/.What are the four categories of organic? - Answer-100% organic;
Organic (at least 95% organic, remaining 5% on National list);
