Approved Inputs

An input is a material (feedstuff, fertilizer, cleaning agent, food additive or processing aid) used during food production. In organics, there are specific lists of permitted substances that are allowable for use in the production of crops, livestock or processed products. An approved input, therefore, is a material/product that has been reviewed and vetted for compliance and use in one of these processes.

Any farmer or processing facility that wishes to use inputs must have their inputs approved for use prior to implementation within their Organic System Plan. This can be done on an individualized basis where each client makes the request for review themselves, or conversely, a manufacturer can apply for an Input Approval certificate in order to sell their product as pre-vetted to their customers (producers and/or processing plants)