Q: Is there a difference between certified organic and USDA organic?
A: It depends on where you are. In the US, certified organic and USDA organic are the same thing. To legally sell a product as certified organic in the US, the farm or producer must go through USDA organic certification through a certified third-party certifying agency (such as QAI, OTCO, etc.) In other countries there may be other organic standards (such as Soil Association) so there may be products that are certified organic but not USDA organic. (If those products are sold in the US, however, they would have to undergo USDA organic certification.)