Current organic standards:

205.202 Land requirements

Any field or farm parcel from which harvested crops are intended to be sold, labeled, or represented as “organic,” must:

(a) Have been managed in accordance with the provisions of §§205.203 through 205.206;

(b) Have had no prohibited substances, as listed in §205.105, applied to it for a period of 3 years immediately preceding harvest of the crop; and

(c) Have distinct, defined boundaries and buffer zones such as runoff diversions to prevent the unintended application of a prohibited substance to the crop or contact with a prohibited substance applied to adjoining land that is not under organic management.

205.205 Crop Rotation

The producer must implement a crop rotation including but not limited to sod, cover crops, green manure crops, and catch crops that provide the following functions that are applicable to the operation:

(a) Maintain or improve soil organic matter content;

(b) Provide for pest management in annual and perennial crops;

(c) Manage deficient or excess plant nutrients; and

(d) Provide erosion control.

Proposed sustainable land management and erosion standards:

1) Setting limits on the amount of tolerable soil loss using a regionally-specific soil loss equation. These limits should be determined by regional experts that use the USDA's guide to the Revised USLE (found here) to determine recommended T values (soil loss tolerance) in each region. Based off of the USDA's guide to the Revised USLE, all regions should have a T value of no greater than 5 tons per acre per year.

Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) (taken from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs):

A = R x K x LS x C x P

A = average annual soil loss in tons per acre per year. This is the amount, which is compared to the "tolerable soil loss" limits. A should be no greater than T, which is the set limits for the tolerable amount of soil loss.

R = rainfall and runoff factor by geographic location. The greater the intensity and duration of the rain storm, the higher the erosion potential.

K = soil erodibility factor. It is the average soil loss in tons per acre for a particular soil in cultivated. K is a measure of the susceptibility of soil particles to detachment and transport by rainfall and runoff. Texture is the principal factor affecting K, but structure, organic matter and permeability also contribute.

LS = slope length-gradient factor. The LS factor represents a ratio of soil loss under given conditions to that at a site. The steeper and longer the slope, the higher the risk for erosion.

C = crop/vegetation and management factor. It is used to determine the relative effectiveness of soil and crop management systems in terms of preventing soil loss. The C factor is a ratio comparing the soil loss from land under a specific crop and management system to the corresponding loss from continuously fallow and tilled land.

P = support practice factor. It reflects the effects of practices that will reduce the amount and rate of the water runoff and thus reduce the amount of erosion. The P factor represents the ratio of soil loss by a support practice to that of straight-row farming up and down the slope. The most commonly used supporting cropland practices are cross-slope cultivation, contour farming and strip cropping.

By using this metric, farmers can utilize regionally-appropriate land management practices to protect their soil from erosion instead of having to adhere to specific government-mandated regulations. These standards are more sustainable because they allow farmers to farm in ways that are most practical and beneficial for them based on their region, crop, and practices.

Works Cited

E-CFR: TITLE 7—Agriculture. Part 205—National Organic Program Vol. Web. Mar 15, 2018.

"Start Farming: Planning a Crop Rotation." Penn State Extension. Web. Mar 15, 2018

<https://extension.psu.edu/start-farming-planning-a-crop-rotation>.

United States Department of Agriculture. "Predicting Soil Erosion by Water: A Guide to Conservation Planning

With the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE)." Web. March 15, 2018. <https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/11126/PDF>

"Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE)." Web. Mar 15, 2018

<http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/12-051.htm#t2>.