Sep 26, 2024

Congress pressed to fund USDA organic Farm Bill programs

Congress is being reminded by the organic industry to fund USDA Farm Bill programs.

With the clock running down on the Farm Bill (set to expire on Oct. 1) and funding for key organic programs missing from the proposed Continuing Resolution to fund the Government through January, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) sent an urgent message to Congress encouraging them to find the funding to safeguard critical organic programs that support American farmers.

In a letter sent to the House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership, OTA shared specific concerns about organic programs slated to be orphaned due to the expiring Farm Bill and encouraged the Agriculture Committees to take action to ensure that the programs are continued.

A disruption in funding for the voluntary and producer-focused programs for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), the Organic Data Initiative (ODI), Organic Certification Trade and Tracking (OCCT), and the end of authority for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Program (OREI) for any length of time, would be detrimental to organic producers, the trade, and the rural economies in which growers operate, according to a news release.

OCCSP aids farmers in obtaining or renewing their organic certification, up to 75% or $750 dollars per certification scope. This assists smaller and mid-size operations with costs, which have risen with increased verification requirements and fraud prevention that were implemented in 2024. Without this program, organic farmers will see their costs rise, according to the release.

ODI is a multi-agency organic initiative that collects information vital to maintaining stable markets, creating risk management tools, and assisting in negotiating equivalency agreements with foreign governments. Congress has historically directed the USDA to improve organic reporting, and removing this funding would move organic data collection in the opposite direction of Congressional intent. In addition, without timely access to this data, current organic farmers and those looking to transition to capture market premiums are put at a disadvantage when making decisions about farm investments or planting, according to the release.

OCTT is an essential pillar of USDA’s fraud prevention activities related to organic. The data collected is foundational to the recently implemented Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule to ensure the integrity of imported goods to the United States market and make certain consumers are receiving bona fide organic goods. SOE went into effect on March 19, and ongoing technological updates to the database are critical and necessary. A failure to maintain that system would put trade in organic certification and oversight in perilous risk, according to the release.

While OREI has mandatory funding, authority ends after 2024, potentially disrupting the next grant cycle, supporting critical organic research and extension programs without reauthorization.

The trade association recognizes that, collectively, Congress faces difficult decisions as they attempt to provide some certainty to the farming community for the remainder of this year and the upcoming calendar year. Finding the funding necessary to continue the operations of these programs at USDA will enable the organic industry to continue creating economic opportunities for producers in rural areas, contributing to environmental improvement, market diversification, and ensuring domestic agricultural resilience, according to the release.

Read the full letter here.