Organic INTEGRITY Database

National Organic Program
The Organic Integrity Database (INTEGRITY) Instructions
OMB NO. 0581-0191
The Organic Integrity Database (INTEGRITY) is a modernized system for tracking certified
organic farms and businesses. With the new database, organic certifiers have been able to add
new operations and report changes to existing operations at any time, including being able to
report suspended, revoked, and surrendered organic certificates. INTEGRITY allows anyone to
search for organic farms and businesses by name, certification status, state, country, products,
and other factors. This proposed rule required certifiers to use INTEGRITY to strengthen organic
control systems, improve oversight, update annual reporting data, and generate standardized
federated certificates. All certifying agents have computerized operations.
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USDA eAuthentication Enrollment and logging in:

All certifiers have personal logins and passwords for each employee who accesses the
system. INTEGRITY uses the already established USDA authentication system that provides
proven security controls. Either NOP or certifier administers certifier staff accounts (certifier’s
choice). It identifies user to the USDA via their User ID and Password, and then authorizes
access to INTEGRITY.

Certifier staff complete a registration application to request an account, and the Certifier
Lead activates the user account.

Step 1: Once certifier staff is enrolled, certifier staff clicks “Login” on Home Page to log in.

Step 2: Certifier staff enters eAuth User ID and Password

Step 3: Certifier staff is logged in.

Data fields in the system are showing as “required” or “optional”. Data can be directly
entered or can be uploaded with Excel file uploads. “Required” data is the same data that is
required to be physically mailed (or emailed) to the Administrator or State Organic Program as
paper copies of: (1) the list of operations certified annually; or (2) notifications of proposed or
executions of adverse actions, approvals, or denials of corrective actions regarding certified
operations or operations applying for certification (§§ 205.403, 205.404, and 205.501).

Views: The data fields view in the “Operation Level”

Views: The data fields view in the “Item Level”.

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Importing and exporting data for operations

Import/Export Operation(s) Data: If certifiers want to upload or download data with Excel,
they will use the import/export feature starting with the “Staging Area”:

Import/Export Operation(s) Data: Staging Area – Start File Upload

Import/Export Operation(s) Data: File processing in progress

Import/Export Operation(s) Data: Operations uploaded

Import/Export Operation(s) Data: Operations in staging area

Import/Export Operation(s) Data: Operation profile in staging area

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Standardized Federated Certificates

The data elements required on an organic certificate are specified (§ 205.404), and no
changes are being proposed to the data required. Currently, certifying agents can produce their
own certificate or voluntarily use the standardized format provided in INTEGRITY. Before
getting started, this screen allows for the data to be verified before viewing or printing.
Data Element

Template Location

Certifier Name, Address, Web Site, Phone
Number – Email Address as Available*

N/A, but review your Certifier Profile contact
information for best presentation

Operation Name

Operation Level – Column B

Operation Physical Address

Operation Level – Columns R-W

Operation Mailing Address if Different from
Physical Address
Operation Certification Status Effective Date

Operation Level – Columns X-AC

Issue Date

N/A, today

Optional: Operation Contact Name, Phone, Email
and Website
Operation Anniversary Date

Operation Level – Columns E, F, AD, AE, AF

Operation Scope Statuses

Operation Level – Columns J, L, N, P for
Certified Scopes

Certified Items/Products

Item Level – Column H or F/G. Optional:
Column I, D/E

Optional: NOP Certification Status**

Item Level – Column J

Item Labeling Categories for Items in Handling
Scope
Item Status Effective Date

Item Level – Columns Q, R, or S

Optional: Current Certificate Numbers

Item Level – Column B

Operation Level – Column H

Operation Level – Column I

Item Level – Column K

The certificate module.
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A certifying agent that voluntarily uses the standardized certificates in INTEGRITY
automatically enables use of the certificate module by the public.
The certificate module is currently not available to public users of INTEGRITY if the
certifier does not use the standardized certificates. The certification status of operations can
still be viewed without the use of the certificate module even though the certificate cannot be
viewed or printed.
The proposed rule proposes that all certifying agents use the standardized certificates. This
will automatically enable the use of the certificate module by all public users of
INTEGRITY.

Certifiers select All Operations or Selected Operations and click Apply to generate the draft certificates.

After clicking “Apply”, INTEGRITY works on the request.

Summary page for a specific certified operation prior to printing a certificate.

A sample Organic Certificate