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USCOEA - Crop Export and Chilean/Sodium Nitrate

[ACA] Chilean nitrate for US organic crops to Canada - land or crop? 12/1/25

***Please note, this discussion was re-ordered from oldest to newest replies for ease of reading for guidance. 

Guidance

When evaluating if a crop qualifies for export to Canada, we need to verify that substance was not applied to grow the specific crop, but it is not required to have not been used for 3 years.  

If they used Sodium or Chilean Nitrate in the past, but not for this crop it will qualify.

Discussion

From: 'dcox' via Accredited Certifiers Association <accredited-certifiers-association@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, December 1, 2025 10:39 AM
To: Accredited Certifiers Association <accredited-certifiers-association@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [ACA] Chilean nitrate for US organic crops to Canada - land or crop?

Hi Certifiers,
 
We have a USDA organic crop producer who applied Chilean nitrate to cropland last year but not this year.  So the 2025 USDA organic crop he wants to export to Canada will not have been grown with Chilean nitrate, but the land will have received it within three years of crop harvest.
 
I have a foggy memory that certifiers were told the 2025 crop can qualify  as organic for export to Canada under the US-Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement, maybe since the arrangement doesn't speak to land certification but crop production methods.  The website doesn't speak directly to this, but I can see how one could draw that conclusion:
 
"The following are additional requirements for certified organic products exported to Canada:... Agricultural products produced with the use of sodium nitrate shall not be sold or marketed as organic in Canada."
 https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/organic-certification/international-trade/Canada
 
We don't certify a lot of crop exporters.  I am hoping that someone who does has the answer ready at hand. Can this 2025 crop qualify as USCOEA compliant?  

Duncan

From: 'Sal Pinkham' via Accredited Certifiers Association <accredited-certifiers-association@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, December 1, 2025 10:54 AM
To: accredited-certifiers-association@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: [ACA] Chilean nitrate for US organic crops to Canada - land or crop?
 
Hi Duncan,
 
OEFFA’s interpretation matches your foggy memory: since the COR equivalency variance specifies that the crop is produced without Chilean/sodium nitrate, we verify that the specific crop being exported did not have nitrate applied (including during pre-plant field preparation). There is not a land transition in relation to the equivalency.
 
 
Sal Pinkham
Certification Program Director
Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA)
 
Phone (614) 725-1467
Web certification.oeffa.org
150 E. Wilson Bridge Rd. Suite 230, Worthington, OH 43085

De: 'Adam Mitchel [He Him His]' via Accredited Certifiers Association <accredited-certifiers-association@googlegroups.com>
Enviado: lunes, diciembre 1, 2025 4:58 p.m.
Para: accredited-certifiers-association@googlegroups.com <accredited-certifiers-association@googlegroups.com>
Asunto: RE: [ACA] Chilean nitrate for US organic crops to Canada - land or crop? 
 
Good morning,
 
CCOF follows the same interpretation.
 
Thanks,
 
Adam Mitchel
Grower Program Manager
CCOF CS, LLC

 From: 'Alvaro Martinez' via Accredited Certifiers Association <accredited-certifiers-association@googlegroups.com> 
Sent: Monday, December 1, 2025 3:20 PM
To: accredited-certifiers-association@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [ACA] Chilean nitrate for US organic crops to Canada - land or crop?

Hi all,
Is there any difference in the interpretation if it is a perennial crop rather than an annual crop?
Regards,
Alvaro

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