 The
USDA National Organic Program (NOP) has created strict standards for
producing and processing agricultural products to be sold as organic in
the US. In order to ensure that these standards are being met, the NOP
has accredited about 50 organizations throughout the world as organic
certifiers. When agricultural producers want their products to be
labeled as organic, they must adopt certain practices for three years
and then go through a certification process with one of these NOP
certifiers. If the producer meets all the NOP standards, they can become
certified organic, which means their agricultural products can be sold
or labeled as organic.A mattress itself
is not an agricultural product and therefore cannot be certified as
organic by the USDA National Organic Program. However, standards have
been developed to give consumers assurance of finished products (like
shirts, jackets, and other such consumer items in addition to
mattresses) made with organic fibers and textiles. These
standards, called the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS),
have become the recognized organic textile processing standards for
mattresses. The standards require that all fiber and fabrics used
within a mattress, with limited exceptions, must be made from National
Organic Program (NOP) certified materials and processed in accordance
with the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). All other
components (such as innersprings, fire protection, etc.) must meet
stringent non-toxic standards. Although there are many GOTS approved
certifiers throughout the world, the largest certifier in the US is
Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO). |
