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Why the Common OSP Matters for Organic Agriculture
COMMON OSP
By
Connie Karr
updated Sep 25, 2025
Why the Common OSP Strengthens Organic Certification
I’ve worked in organic certification for nearly 30 years. I’ve sat with farmers as they struggled through 40-page forms, and I’ve watched inspectors and certifier staff burn out trying to manage dozens of versions of the same paperwork. Over and over, we’ve heard it:
“The OSP paperwork is the number one barrier to certification.”
That shouldn’t be the case. The Organic System Plan (OSP) was intended to be a tool for documenting compliance, not a wall keeping people out. That’s why I—and many others across the industry—have poured energy into developing a Common OSP.
How We Got Here
Back in 2024, Jenny Tucker at the National Organic Standards Board Meeting (NOSB) challenged the community: “This is a chance for the industry to step up and lead the way-can we rise to meet it?”?”
I couldn’t ignore that call. Having worked at Oregon Tilth for 25 years, and now with Quick Organics, Wolf & Associates, and the Accredited Certifiers Association, as well as consulted for numerous certifiers, I’ve seen firsthand the inefficiencies and frustrations baked into our forms. We certifiers built them with good intentions—but they’ve become bloated, inconsistent, and at times even contradictory.
So we pulled together a team of 12 experts—farmers, inspectors, certifiers, processors—and built the first draft of a Common OSP. The goal was simple:
Cut out irrelevant questions.
Keep alignment with regulation.
Make it usable for all three key stakeholders: farmers, inspectors, and certifiers.
What Makes the Common OSP Different
Skip logic and customization. If you don’t raise poultry, you skip the poultry section. If you’re only packing your own eggs, you don’t need a 30-page handling OSP.
Balance of detail. Instead of compound essay questions, we’ve moved toward checkboxes that guide farmers and give inspectors the information they need. Yes, the form may look long at first glance, but it’s faster to complete and clearer to review.
Fraud prevention. Farmers have been overwhelmed by three-page fraud plans that make no sense for their operation. In the Common OSP, it’s three baseline questions—expanded only if risk indicators suggest it’s needed.
Real time savings. Consultants testing the draft have reported going from 40 hours to as little as 10 hours to complete an OSP.
Why It Matters for the Whole System
This isn’t just about farmers. Inspectors tell us they can only juggle four or five certifiers’ paperwork in their heads before it becomes unmanageable. Certifiers had to spend endless hours reformatting for SOE and OLPS regulatory changes. Operators who wanted to switch certifiers faced doing the mountain of paperwork twice.
The Common OSP solves all of that. It creates a consistent baseline, reduces burnout, and—most importantly—lowers the barrier for farmers who want to get certified.
My Bottom Line
Organic certification is too important to let paperwork stand in the way. The Common OSP won’t be perfect for everyone, and it won’t replace every certifier’s unique needs. But it is a critical step forward—a chance to make certification easier, clearer, and fairer across the board.
Join Us
🌾 If you’re a farmer or processor: Try the Common OSP draft and see how it changes the certification experience—less time on paperwork, more time farming.
🏛 If you’re a certifier: Join the pilot process. Testing the Common OSP now will shape a tool that works for your staff, inspectors, and clients.
🔎 If you’re an inspector: You see the challenges firsthand. Point producers and certifiers to the Common OSP solution.
