Video: Margaret Scoles of IOIA discussed the important role of the International Organic Inspectors Association and training new inspectors. The International Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA) is the professional organization of organic inspectors and offers training and networking world-wide for crop, livestock, and processing inspectors. IOIA collaborates within the organic sector with governmental agencies including the USDA National Organic Program, certification agencies, and other nonprofit educational entities, to ensure quality inspections, quality inspectors, and organic integrity. She discusses the IOIA inspector, mainly the value of the conversations during on-farm visits with certified organic operations. Even though inspectors can’t recommend specific change practices or help with marketing, they offer genuine support. There is a critical need for new inspectors, so she pitched the reasons and educational background for becoming an inspector through IOIA.
Published: May 27, 2025
This segment has been funded under a Conservation Collaboration Cooperative Agreement NR246740XXXXC008 between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and South Dakota Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA), to promote sustainable agriculture practices and environmental stewardship. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA or NRCS.