OMRI Celebrates 5,000 Products

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(June 6, 2017) OMRI (the Organic Materials Review Institute) announces that the organization has reached 5,000 OMRI Listed® products reviewed and verified for organic use. OMRI most recently added 1,000 products since April of 2016, a new record for the Eugene, Oregon nonprofit that started 20 years ago. The organization's experience over the past two decades clearly reflects how input products for organic use are innovating and growing exponentially alongside the rest of the organic industry.

According to Executive Director/CEO Peggy Miars, "Twenty years ago, OMRI's founders set out to assist the industry and offer clear guidance about inputs for organic producers. With ongoing support from the organic community, we are continuing to do just that. Keeping up with rapid growth has been a challenge, but we are rising to the occasion. We continue to add staff and improve our processes with new technology and tools. We are dedicating every day to serving the organic community by growing the list and upholding clear and consistent standards for materials."

Miars joined OMRI in 2010, just before the organization reached 2,000 listed products. Since then, staffing has tripled, and the average number of new applications coming in the door has grown from 40 applications per month to more than 100.

She adds that, "OMRI's review is not an easy process. The more than 1,400 suppliers of OMRI Listed products who have their products OMRI Listed show a commitment to maintaining a transparent and auditable process. Like us, they are working year round to uphold the integrity of the OMRI lists by submitting formula changes and ingredient supplier changes to us for review. We appreciate their patience and support for a very stringent and detailed process."

The OMRI Products List© and the OMRI Canada Products List© of allowed products for organic use are available for free search and download at OMRI.org, and printed copies of the lists are also available through OMRI. The following "OMRI at 5,000" infographic shows the significant growth and changes since OMRI's first list of products, published in 1998. Twenty-eight suppliers, or 25% of that original 1998 list, maintain OMRI Listed products to this day. According to one of those suppliers:

"As one of OMRI's very first listed products, Cold Creek Compost is proud to be early supporters of OMRI's mission to ensure the organic integrity of agricultural input products. Since Cold Creek Compost's inception in 1995, our goal has been to provide organic fertilizers and soil amendments to sustainable agriculture consistent with the goals and mission of OMRI. Cold Creek Compost is very fortunate to have connected early with OMRI to facilitate and validate the missions of both our organizations. Cold Creek Compost continues to support OMRI's mission and encourages the agricultural community to list with OMRI and use OMRI Listed products for all sustainable agricultural needs. Many congratulations to OMRI for being early innovators and for 20 years of providing organic integrity to the agricultural community."
-Martin Mileck, President Cold Creek Compost, Inc.

Contact: Amy Bradsher, Senior Marketing Director
(541) 343-7600 ext. 106