The National Organic Program (NOP) issued a memo on new oversight requirements for USDA-accredited certifiers in West Africa on September 24. The agency noted the rapid shift of organic soybean and soybean meal exports from India to West Africa following the ending of the US India Recognition Agreement as impetus for the strict new requirements. 

NOP has identified organic soybean supply chains originating in Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Benin as high risk.

“This is due to the rapid growth of soybeans represented as organic in the region, security concerns in the region that can impede the ability for certifiers to conduct unannounced inspections, the prevalence of producer groups with thousands of members and associated issues with full traceability, feasible yields and adequate internal control systems, and known attempts to sell nonorganic soybeans from the region as organic,” noted Robert Yang, Director of the Accreditation Division…