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Kashis certified transitional Dark Cocoa Karma Shredded Wheat Biscuits.

You may have started noticing a new certification mark on some of the foods you buy. The certified transitional designation essentially means that the product is on its way to becoming organic. For example, boxes of Kashis Dark Cocoa Karma Shredded Wheat Biscuits bear a green seal with a small t and the words transitional, certified by QAI. Quality Assurance International is one of a group of national certifiers of organic, and now transitional, products.

Think of certified transitional as the on-ramp to organic, says Nate Lewis, farm policy director of the Organic Trade Association. The organization developed the standards for the National Certified Transitional Program, which was approved by the USDA this year. The goal of the designation is to increase certified organic farm acreage in the US, which stands at a meager 1 percent of all farmland. Domestic supply is not keeping up with organic demand, says Lewis.

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The transitional designation tackles one of the primary obstacles growers face when converting their land (or considering conversion) from conventional to organic: cost. It takes three years of rigorous organic farming and compliance for a farm to become eligible for organic certification, during which time it cant charge more for its crops or livestock. This lengthy period of increased operating costs and lower yields (without the use of conventional fertilizers or weed- and pest-control chemicals) is particularly prohibitive for small farms.

What the NCTP program and certified transitional mark do is allow farms in transition and food manufacturers using those crops to realize premium pricing not as much as organic foods would command, but higher than conventional during the second and third years of transition. (Transitional certification can be achieved after one full year of not using prohibited substances.)

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Lewis says not to expect a USDA transitional label. Each certifier will have its own seal; QAIs was one of the first to hit packaging on store shelves. The USDA oversees the national program by overseeing the certifiers, explains Lewis.

For a company like Kashi, which is working with two farms transitioning to organic wheat production, increasing its sources of organics is critical. We need organic ingredients to grow the supply chain for our own company, says Nicole Nestojko, senior director of supply chain and sustainability. It will extend to other brands, she says. We see this as a way to support the growth of organic agriculture.

And organic (food and other) products grown without pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics, growth hormones, GMOs, and with minimal impact on the environment are clearly in demand. In 2015, the OTA recorded organic product sales of $43.3 billion, an 11 percent increase over the prior year.

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Its a win-win for all: Growers are encouraged to transition to organic farming because theyll receive some premium pricing during the transition period; food manufacturers can support farms prior to their becoming full-fledged organic; and consumers have greater choice when it comes to produce, meat, and packaged foods made with organic ingredients.

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What does 'certified transitional' mean? - The Boston Globe