ORGANIC AQUAPONICS: RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES FOR CONSIDERATION

This abstract is a stub and will be updated after initial submission

The US National Organics Standards Board (NOSB) invited public comment in November 2016 regarding whether soil-less agricultural methods such as hydroponics and Aquaponics should be excluded from consideration as organic.

Though not all hydroponic and aquaponic growers seek the organic label and associated costs for their products, there are some farmers for whom the organic label makes a substantial difference in the price the market will pay or the market segment available to the farmer, or both.

This paper lays out the philosophical basis for considering Aquaponics and responsible hydroponics to be organic agricultural processes, according to the original language associated with the National Organics Program (NOP).

The paper delineates recommended measures associated with organic Aquaponic production.

As many organic audits also address ancillary matters, such as food safety, the paper addresses good agricultural practices (GAP) that Aquaponics should be held to for public safety.