OMRI Looking For New Leader

Based in Eugene, OR, OMRI provides organic certifiers, growers, manufacturers, and suppliers an independent review of products intended for use in certified organic production, handling, and processing. The organization said in a statement late Tuesday that Paul Lipscomb is now its interim executive director. OMRI did not give any details on Lipscomb or his background. DeCou had served as executive director for the past five years. OMRI said in the statement that DeCou “will be pursuing other professional and personal interests.”

OMRI works with hundreds of companies in its Review Program. The OMRI Products List, an annual directory of all products OMRI has determined are allowed for organic agriculture or food processing and handling, has almost 1,700 products. OMRIs role is advisory and educational, and final decisions regarding generic materials and brand name products allowed for use in organic production reside with the individual accredited organic certifier and related government agencies.

While accredited organic certifiers typically follow OMRIs recommendations when evaluating certain input materials in organic food production, none are required to do so although few do not.

Many organic certifiers and growers will only use products that have passed the OMRI review.

The group also maintains a Generic Materials List, which is a catalog of over 900 materials and their statuses in organic production, processing, and handling.

OMRI’s status has been elevated in the last two years as the National Organic Program (NOP) has stepped up its scrutiny of inputs in organic processing, primarily fertilizers. The NOP said in March 2008 that accredited certifying agents were allowed to recognize reviews of inputs for agricultural production by third-party reviewers such as OMRI and the Environmental Protection Agency.

In 2007, OMRI implemented new policies and standards in order to be accredited under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Guide 65—a standard system for certification services.

One of the most significant changes to the standards included the development of maximum concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, and lead for all products intended for use on organic crops or soils.

Also, under the revised policies, OMRI now performs a minimum number of random inspections. Plus every year OMRI inspects 1 percent of its approved-product list on a random basis.

OMRI also began requiring audits of manufacturers’ purchase records. OMRI won ISO-65 certification in March 2008.

To help pay for the beefed up scrutiny, OMRI raised its fees, on average, about 27 percent - from an initial $1,000 for the first year and $500 every year after that, to $1,800 for the first year and $900 every year after that.

The OMRI Board of Directors has formed a search committee for a new executive director.