As of January 1, 2014, under a new equivalency agreement, the Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (MAFF) will recognize USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) as equivalent to the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) and the MAFF Organic Program (under applicable JAS regulations) and will allow products produced and certified as meeting USDA’s NOP standards to be marketed as “organic” in the Japan  Likewise, the United States will allow Japanese products produced and certified under the JAS Organic Program to be marketed as “organic” in the United States.