How does a farm outside the US get USDA Organic certification to export to the US?
A farm outside the United States can sell organic products in the US by getting certified to the USDA organic standard by a USDA accredited certifier, or by being certified under a country that has an organic equivalency arrangement with the US. Kona Organic, a certification consulting firm, helps growers, mills, and exporters outside the US get ready for USDA Organic and keep shipments moving.
Key takeaways
Two paths: direct USDA Organic certification, or certification under an equivalency partner (Canada, the EU, the UK, Switzerland, Japan, Korea, Taiwan) with set terms.
Since 2024, every shipment of organic product into the US needs an NOP Import Certificate issued by the exporter's certifier.
Every business that handles the product on the way, including exporters and importers, must be certified.
Small farms can certify together as a grower group.
The US importer will ask for your certificate, the import certificate, and lot records. Have them ready before the first container.
Two paths into the US market
USDA Organic certification. Many USDA accredited certifiers work outside the US. Your farm follows the USDA rules, writes a USDA Organic System Plan, and passes a yearly inspection. This is the simplest path for coffee, cacao, fruit, and specialty crops going straight to US buyers.
Equivalency arrangements. The US recognizes organic certification from some trading partners under set terms. If you are already certified under one of those programs, you may be able to ship as organic without a second certificate. Check the terms for your product and your country before you ship; some products and inputs are excluded.
Import certificates
Under the USDA Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule, in effect since March 2024, organic products shipped into the US need an NOP Import Certificate for each shipment. Your certifier issues it, and your importer files it with US customs. Without it, the product cannot enter the US as organic, and shipments without the paperwork get held.
Everyone in the chain
The 2024 rule closed the old exemptions. Exporters, brokers, importers, storage, and traders now need their own certificates. If your coffee goes from your farm to a cooperative mill, then to an exporter, then to a US importer, each of those businesses needs to be certified for the coffee to arrive as organic.
Grower groups
Small farms can certify together as a grower group with one shared Organic System Plan, an internal control system, and internal inspections, with the certifier inspecting a sample. This is common for coffee and cacao and brings the cost per farm down.
What the US buyer will ask for
A current organic certificate, the NOP Import Certificate for the shipment, lot numbers that trace back to the farm, a transaction certificate if required, and often a fraud prevention plan. Kona Organic builds the records so these are ready before the buyer asks.
How Kona Organic helps
Kona Organic writes the USDA Organic System Plan, sets up records that trace each lot to export, builds the fraud prevention plan, explains the import certificate process, and preps you for inspection, all remotely. Kona Organic is a national organic certification consulting firm, headquartered in Hawaiʻi. The team works with farms, handlers, and food brands in all 50 states and US territories, on site or remotely, and with exporters overseas. The team is IOIA trained in international inspection.
Common questions
Do I need a US importer to be certified?
Yes. Under the 2024 rule, importers of organic product must be certified, with narrow exemptions.
Can I use my country's organic label in the US?
Only under an equivalency arrangement and its terms. Otherwise the product needs USDA Organic certification to carry an organic claim in the US.
How long does it take?
Three to six months from a complete application. Start before the harvest you plan to export.
Last updated: October 2026.
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