Oct 31, 2021

USDA collaborates on research priorities with organic farm group

Organic Farming Research Foundation has entered in a three-year cooperative agreement with USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). OFRF will be tasked with analyzing Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) and Organic Transitions (ORG) funded projects by commodity, region and research topics.

Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) will compare priorities identified in 2016 and 2021 National Organic Research Agenda (NORA), summarize research findings on top challenges for farmers, and identify gaps and provide recommendations for organic research priorities. Research assessment will be conducted as it relates to climate mitigation, and an equity review of how well OREI and ORG are serving 1890 historically Black land-grants, 1994 Tribal land-grants, Hispanic-serving institutions, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color NGOs. Additional activities, including the creation and dissemination of info sheets and webinars, will be completed as part of a comprehensive external review of OREI and ORG projects.

“I am very excited about our partnership with this agency, which is an excellent complement to the many years of advocacy we have done on behalf of programs like OREI and ORG,” said Brise Tencer, Executive Director for OFRF.

OFRF has a long-standing history with the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative. The organization advocated for the creation of the OREI in the 2002 Farm Bill and supplied recommendations to USDA and Congress on how the program should be set up and implemented.

Updates on this agreement will be made on the OFRF News section on its website.

Organic Farming Research Foundation works to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems. OFRF cultivates organic research, education, and federal policies that bring more farmers and acreage into organic production.