United States Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue SW.

NOP 5021
Effective date:
Agricultural Marketing Service Room 2646-South Building
July 22, 2011
National Organic Program Washington, DC 20250 Page 1 of 4

Guidelines
Compost and vermicompost in the production of organic crops

1. Purpose

This directive clarifies the permitted practices for composition, production, and use of
compost and worm compost in the production of organic crops.

2. Scope

This directive applies to the certifying agents of the National Organic Program (NOP, for its acronym)
in English), to all certified and exempt organic producers, and to input suppliers.

3. Context

Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, 205.203(c) of the NOP regulation and the
operating standard for the management of crop nutrients and soil fertility establishes the
requirements for the management and application of animal and plant materials. This section of the
NOP regulations stipulate specific requirements regarding the use of compost and manure.
raw, but does not describe the full scope of the methods that can be used for production of
compost.

In § 205.203, there is a key provision of the NOP regulations regarding the

addition of organic matter, which establishes the following:

The producer must manage plant and animal materials to maintain or improve the
organic matter content of the soil in a way that does not contribute to pollution
crops, soil or water with plant nutrients, pathogens, heavy metals,
or waste from prohibited substances.

Section 205.203 also establishes that animal and plant materials include three types of
materials: raw manure, plant and animal materials transformed into compost and materials
unprocessed vegetables in compost. The use of raw manure is restricted and the compost
what contains animal materials must be produced under certain conditions. The designated types
of systems do not include common composting transformation methods, such as in piles (instead
of rows) nor do they include any reference to vermicompost.

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) convened two groups of

work that presented comprehensive reports to the NOSB on compost (2002) and compost tea (2004).
Subsequently, the NOSB made a final recommendation on compost, compost tea, manure
processed and worm composted in November 2006.

Original issue date: 05/09/11 Authorized distribution: public

File name: NOP 5021 Compost and Vermicompost Rev01 07 22 11
 United States Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue SW. NOP 5021
Effective date:
Agricultural Marketing Service Room 2646-South Building
July 22, 2011
National Organic Program Washington, DC 20250 Page 2 of 4

The NOP agrees with the NOSB that the examples provided in § 205.203(c)(1-3)
they do not constitute an exhaustive list of acceptable plant and animal materials to be used in the
organic production. The site-specific variation of feed materials, management practices and
production requirements dictate that organic producers practice flexibility in
manage plant and animal materials in their operations.

In July 2007, the NOP issued NOP 5006 Processed Animal Manure. NOP 5006 clarifies
the criteria for the production of processed manure products that can be used without
restriction on organic production. While the use of processed animal manure was clarified in the NOP
5006, the use of vermicompost was not addressed in that directive. Vermicompost is a method
alternative to meet the compost requirements of the NOP. Vermicomposts are material
organic matter of plant and/or animal origin, mainly consisting of worm humus
finely divided, and produced in a non-thermophilic manner with bio-oxidation and stabilization of
organic material, as a result of the interactions between earthworms and microorganisms
aerobic, when the material passes through the worm's intestine.

The feed for vermicomposting materials includes organic matter of plant origin or
animal, preferably macerated and completely mixed before processing. The organisms
Pathogens are eliminated between 7 and 60 days, depending on the technology used. The vermicomposting systems.
depend on regular additions of thin layers of organic matter at intervals of 1 to 3 days for
maintain aerobic conditions and avoid temperature increases above 35 ºC (95 ºF),
that would kill the earthworms. Composting methods include external rows.
(typically managed for 6 to 12 months), angled wedge systems (normally
managed for 2 to 4 months), internal container systems (usually managed for 2
for 4 months) and continuous flow reactors (usually operated for 30 to 60 days). In the case of
the external rows, an indicator that the process has finished is the moment when the worms come out of
compost, which would normally take 6 months in warm conditions or up to 12 months in cooler climates
cold.

Earthworms break down organic waste into finely divided materials with a
low C:N ratio and high microbial activity. Nitrogen is mainly found in
nitrate form, and potassium and phosphorus are found in soluble forms. For most of the
organic waste, no visible trace of raw materials can be found. The processing is
maintains a moisture content of 70 to 90 percent with temperatures that are kept at
range of 18 to 30 ºC (65 to 86 ºF) to achieve good productivity.

4. Politics

4.1 Generalities
The practices for producing compost and worm compost should be described in the plan for the system.
organic (OSP, for its acronym in English). Certifying agents may allow the use of compost
if they review the OSP and the records, and are confident that all requirements are met.
Compost production records must include the type and origin of all feed materials.
When animal materials are used in compost production, the certified operation must carry out
temperature supervision records and document the practices used to achieve temperatures

Original issue date: 05/9/11 Authorized distribution: public

NOP 5021 Compost and Vermicompost Rev01 07 22 11
 United States Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue SW. NOP 5021
Date of entry into force:
Agricultural Marketing Service Room 2646-South Building
July 22, 2011
National Organic Program Washington, DC 20250 Page 3 of 4

uniform heights. The production records of worm compost must include the type and origin.
of all feed materials. When animal materials are used to produce
vermicompost, the certified operation must keep a record of the duration of the transformation in
vermicompost with a description of the practices used to achieve aerobic conditions and
maintain adequate moisture. The certifying agents that review the compost inputs
produced by commercial operators must similarly review the production methods and the
original materials.

Certified operations can also demonstrate compliance with composting requirements.

through the measurement of temperature, time, moisture content, chemical composition and
the biological activity. These measurements may include the analysis of feed and compost materials
to detect one or more characteristics, including the carbon proportions and
initial and final nitrogen, stability (through analysis of the ammonia/nitrate ratio,
demand for O2 breathing frequency of CO2and other standard tests), pathogenic organisms or
the pollutants.

4.2 Compost
Compost that contains plant and animal materials is allowed according to § 205.203(c)(2).
Among other examples of acceptable transformation methods in compost are the following:
compost made from permitted feed materials (whether substances that are not
synthetics not prohibited in § 205.602 or synthetics approved for use as an amendment to
soil or the plants), and

2. The compost pile is mixed or managed to ensure that all the feed gets heated to a
minimum of 55oC (131oF) for a minimum of three days. Monitoring of the parameters
Previous ones must be documented in the OSP according to § 205.203(c) and verified during the
site visit.

4.3 Vermicompost
Vermicomposting is an acceptable method of compost transformation when:
1. it is made from permitted feed materials (whether non-synthetic substances)
prohibited in § 205.602 or synthetics approved for use as a soil amendment or the
plants);

2. aerobic conditions are maintained through regular additions of layers of matter

organic, the rotation or the use of forced air pipes in such a way that it is preserved a
humidity between 70 and 90 percent; and

The duration of the worm compost is sufficient to produce a finished product that does not
contribute to the pollution of crops, soil, or water by nutrients
vegetables, pathogenic organisms, heavy metals or residues of prohibited substances.

4.4 Allowed Uses

Animal-based composts that do not meet the requirements can be allowed.
of 4.2 and the vermicomposts that contain animal materials that do not meet the requirements of

Original issue date: 05/9/11 Authorized distribution: public

NOP 5021 Compost and Vermicompost Rev01 07 22 11
 United States Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue SW. NOP 5021
Effective date:
Agricultural Marketing Service Room 2646-South Building
July 22, 2011
National Organic Program Washington, DC 20250 Page 4 of 4

4.3 of this policy, subject to the restrictions of § 205.203(c)(1), similar to manure

raw animal, as long as all feeds are permitted materials (whether non-synthetic substances
not prohibited in § 205.602 or synthetic substances approved for use as a soil amendment or the
plants).

The use of compost and worm compost made without animal materials such as feed is not found
restricted, in accordance with the provision for unprocessed plant materials in compost in
§ 205.203(c)(3), as long as all feeds are permitted materials (whether they are substances not
synthetics not prohibited in § 205.602 or synthetics approved for use as an amendment to
soil or the plants).

5. References

Regulations of the NOP (according to amendments to date)

Title 7 of the Federal Regulations Code, § 205.203 Operational management standard of the
soil fertility and crop nutrients.
The producer must manage plant and animal materials to maintain or improve the content.
of soil organic matter in a way that does not contribute to the contamination of the crops, the
soil or water with plant nutrients, pathogenic organisms, heavy metals, or waste from
prohibited substances. Animal and plant materials include:
Raw animal manure, which must be composted unless it is:
(2) Compost materials from plant or animal sources produced through a process that:
(3) Uncomposted plant materials.

Title 7 of the Federal Register Regulations, § 205.602 Prohibited non-synthetic substances for
use in the production of organic crops.

Recommendations from the NOSB

November 2006, Final recommendation of the NOSB on the guideline: Use of compost
worm compost, processed manure, and compost teas.

NOP Program Manual: Guidelines and Instructions for Accredited Certifying Entities
and certified operations
NOP 5006: Processed animal manure. July 22, 2011.

Approved on July 22, 2011

Original issue date: 09/05/11 Authorized distribution: public

NOP 5021 Compost and Vermicompost Rev01 07 22 11