Many forage inoculants can be used in certified organic operations. However, the products accepted can vary from region to region depending on the legislative framework in place.

Organic vs. Traditional Inoculants

Forage inoculants approved for use in certified organic operations must meet the criteria of their local certifying agency. By nature, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are natural products, but even natural products aren’t automatically approved for use in organic operations.

In many cases, there are no performance differences between organic and traditional forage inoculants. However, specific products vary from company to company. Even for organic producers, it’s important to ensure the forage inoculant meets fundamental criteria to maximize the inoculant investment.

Certification

In most countries, confirmation that products are compliant with organic production is provided by third-party organizations. These parties can be agencies within a specific country’s government, a private company or a non-profit organization.

It is not always mandatory to have third-party certification to attest that a product is “organic compliant.” When a product is formulated only with ingredients approved for organic production, certification by national control bodies and/or authorities may not be mandatory. Producers or feed manufacturers may be able to deliver their own statement of compliance. However, when a product contains organic feed ingredients, a third-party certification is often required.

Recognized Organic Certification Organizations

The specific products accepted by certification agencies vary from country to country. To find the most up-to-date information, producers should check with their certifying organization.

For more information, ask our team of global silage experts!