New NOP Administrator, New USDA Research Agency, Senate Climate Change Legislation, And More
IN THIS ISSUE:
Features
Issues and Campaign News
DC Bits
Duly Noted
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FEATURES
Veteran Organic Administrator is New Head of USDA National Organic Program
Last month, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Miles McEvoy as the new Deputy Administrator of the National Organic Program. Vilsack also announced that, “because of the increased visibility and emphasis on organic agriculture throughout the farming community, evolving consumer preferences, and the enhanced need for governmental oversight of this widely expanded program,” NOP will become an independent program area within the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service. Previously, the NOP had been a program under the Transportation and Marketing Program Area.
OFRF applauds these two developments at USDA and congratulates McEvoy. McEvoy brings over 20 years organic advocacy experience to his new post. The elevation of the NOP to an independent program area is another signal that the new administration is actively working to strengthen organic agriculture’s standing and integrity within the USDA.
For more info, read the USDA press release announcing McEvoy's new role at the NOP and OFRF’s statement.
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Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up Closed – More Than 21,000 Producers Apply
Initial sign-up for the 2009 USDA Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) closed on Wednesday, September 30. Producers who submitted an application by the deadline will now move to the second phase of the enrollment process, completion of the Conservation Measurement Tool (CMT). The CMT is a new tool that will assess each applicant’s current and planned conservation activities, and rank applications. Rankings will determine who is able to enroll in the 2009 program. Preliminary numbers indicate more than 21,000 producers submitted applications representing over 23 million acres. The program only allows 12.8 million acres to be enrolled for 2009, so competition for contracts will be tight.
Also, the USDA is accepting comments on the CSP Interim Final Rule until October 28, 2009. Directions for submitting comments are published in the related Federal Register notice. OFRF will send out a separate action alert with talking points later this month.
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GE Scientist to Head New USDA Research Agency
In the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, also known as the Farm Bill, Congress changed the name of the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). NIFA will continue the programs and responsibilities of CSREES. It will also house the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative and the Organic Transitions Research Program. OFRF views these two programs as crucial to the future of organic research nationally, and we regularly advocate for them.
The agricultural research community is hoping that the name change will elevate agricultural research to the stature of other national research programs (such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation). This effort will include a push to increase funding for “basic” research in competitive grant programs and an attempt to reorganize the agency.
Secretary Vilsack appointed Roger Beachy as the director of NIFA. Before his appointment, Beachy was president of the Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. The Danforth Center is heavily invested in research of genetically engineered crops and seeds. The Monsanto Corporation helped create the Center, and Monsanto President and CEO Hugh Grant sits on the Center’s Board of Trustees. This appointment suggests a lack of interest in building a strong organic research agenda at NIFA; but it also underscores the importance among organic stakeholders of making their voices heard in Washington.
For more information, read the USDA press release announcing the changes and Beachy appointment.
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ISSUE AND CAMPAIGN NEWS
2010 Agriculture Appropriations Bill Good for Organic
Last week, the Senate and House of Representatives passed the 2010 Agriculture Appropriations Bill. The bill funds three organic programs at levels matching or exceeding OFRF’s request to Congress.
The Organic Transition Research Program received $5 million for 2010, an increase of $3.2 million from 2009. This competitive grants program funds multi-year research projects that examine the effect of organic production systems on water quality. The Organic Market and Production Data Initiatives received $750,000 for 2010, an increase of $250,000 from 2009, and on top of the $5 million in mandatory funds from the 2008 Farm Bill. These funds will help continue and expand the much-needed organic data collection and analysis efforts at USDA. The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) received $7 million for 2010, an increase of $3.1 million from 2009, and $300,000 higher than OFRF’s request. The NOP develops, implements, and administers national production, handling, and labeling standards for organic agricultural products.
For more information:
OFRF’s request to the Appropriation Conference Committee
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s Appropriations Chart
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USDA Holds Leafy Greens Food Safety Hearings; New Food Safety Resources for Farmers
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service held its first four hearings to gather public input on the proposed National Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (NLGMA). As proposed by the Western Growers Association and other major players in the produce industry, the NLGMA would require participants (mostly processors and handlers) to source leafy greens only from growers who certify compliance with the “Good Agricultural Practices” (GAPs) approved under the marketing agreement. OFRF is concerned that the GAPs will create problems for small and mid-sized farms, organic and diversified producers, wildlife and biodiversity. (See our September OFAN update for more info.)
Our friends from the National Organic Coalition and other allied groups provided testimony about these concerns at the first of the hearings, held in Monterey on September 22--24, 2009. You can watch videos of this hearing on the AMS website.
MS will be holding three more hearings, in the following locations: Yuma, Ariz. (October 14--15); Syracuse, N.Y. (October 20); and Charlotte, N.C. (October 22). For more information about the hearings, read the relevant Federal Register notice.
New Publications on Food Safety and Leafy Greens
Three new resources on the food safety issue are now available:
Bridging the GAPs: Strategies to Improve Produce Safety, Preserve Farm Diversity and Strengthen Local Food Systems -- a publication from Food and Water Watch and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
Growers’ Compliance Costs for the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement and Other Food Safety Programs -- a publication from the University of California Small Farms Program.
Food Safety on the Farm: Policy Brief and Recommendations -- a publication from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
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Senate Climate Change Bill Offers Some Benefits for Farmers but no Mention of Organic
The recently introduced Senate climate change bill (S. 1733, the Clean Energy, Jobs, and American Power Act) includes some possible benefits for farmers, but much like the House-passed bill, it does not yet recognize the ways in which organic agriculture can mitigate climate change.
Overview of Senate Climate Change Bill
S. 1733, introduced by Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), caps greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the biggest GHG emitters. It also establishes a “carbon offset market” whereby a GHG emitter can offset its emissions by financially investing in projects that reduce GHGs or sequester carbon. The bill sets a goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 20 percent by 2020 and 50 percent by 2050, relative to 2005 levels. Unlike other economic sectors, the Senate bill does not cap agricultural GHG emissions, but it does allow agricultural operations to reduce their emissions in return for carbon credit vouchers. These vouchers can be sold to other entities that need to offset their emissions
Senate Climate Change Bill and Agriculture
Currently, S. 1733 does not specifically mention how any form of agriculture, including organic, can help reduce GHG emissions or sequester carbon, but the Senate Agriculture Committee will likely add those provisions when it weighs in with its suggestions. OFRF will support efforts that urge the Senate to recognize organic agriculture’s mitigating impacts on climate change in S. 1733.
S. 1733 does establish a program for projects and financial assistance to owners and operators of agricultural land, private or public grazing land, and private forest land. The program includes funding for “early adopters” of carbon-friendly practices, including “no till.” The bill also includes funding for programs to prevent the conversion of native grassland, native prairie, cropland, range land, or forested land into land uses that result in increased GHG emissions or loss of carbon sequestration. Funding could be used for easements, financial assistance, and grants. There is no prohibition against participating in this program and federal or state conservation programs simultaneously.
(From the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.)
New Report on Climate Change Legislation and Agriculture
The Environmental Working Group published a new report on agriculture and the climate change legislation, entitled Crying Wolf: Climate Change Far Greater Threat to Farmers than Climate Legislation.
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Organic Farmers, Consumers Win in GE Sugarbeet Deregulation Lawsuit Against USDA
In a major win for organic farmers and consumers, a Federal Court ruled that the Bush Administration’s approval of genetically engineered (GE) sugar beets was in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act because it failed to prepare an environmental impact statement when it deregulated the GE beets in 2005. The case was brought by the Center for Food Safety and Earthjustice representing a coalition of farmers and consumers. Organic seed farmer and OFRF grant recipient Frank Morton helped instigate the case out of concern that the GE seed would contaminate his chard and table beet crops.
For more information:
“Organic grower inspires beet lawsuit” – Capital Press, 10/3/09
The Center for Food Safety’s webpage on the USDA GE sugar beet lawsuit
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DC BITS
USDA Launches New Website to Connect Consumers to Farmers
As part of its ongoing initiative to improve nutrition and increase appreciation for farmers and agriculture, the USDA launched a Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF2) website. The website is a clearinghouse of information on USDA resources to support farmers, rural communities, local food systems, and natural resources. The site also is supporting the ongoing “national conversation about the importance of understanding where your food comes from and how it gets to your plate.” Learn more at the KYF2 website.
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USDA May Delay Program to Help Beginning Organic Farmers Access Land
In the last Farm Bill, the sustainable agriculture community successfully created a new program - the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Transition Option - that offers incentives to land owners enrolled in the CRP to sell or lease the land to beginning and minority producers using sustainable or organic farming practices at the end of their CRP contracts. Unfortunately, USDA is planning to delay implementation of the CRP Transition Option for at least two years. OFRF and our friends at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition are urging USDA not to delay the implementation of this program and have submitted a petition to USDA to that effect. We will keep you posted on the outcome of that effort. For more information, read the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s action alert.
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New Report Says Domestic Organic Supply Still Can’t Meet Demand
According to a new USDA report, consumer demand for organic food continues to outstrip domestic supply. The report, published by the Economic Research Service (ERS) and entitled Marketing U.S. Organic Foods: Recent Trends from Farms to Consumers examines the organic supply chain and found that retail demand for organic products continues to grow and products are becoming more widely available. Organic acreage is increasing as well, but not at the same pace. Download the full report on the ERS website.
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National Organic Standards Board Appoints New Members, Meeting in November
The USDA appointed five new members to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), each to serve a five-year term ending in 2015. Two of the new members are organic farmers, one is a retailer, one is a handler, and one is a representative from an environmental organization. To learn more about the new members, read the USDA press release.
Also, the NOSB will hold its next meeting on November 3--5 , 2009, in Washington, D.C. The NOSB meets twice yearly to consider whether specific substances should be allowed or prohibited in organic production or handling, to help develop standards for use of substances in organic production and to advise the USDA on other aspects of the National Organic Program. Members of the public who wish to submit comments or submit requests to make oral presentations at the meeting must do so by October 19. For more information, read the relevant Federal Register notice.
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Funds for 2009 Organic Certification Cost Share Program Available Soon
Cost-share funds for farmers’ 2009 organic certification fees will soon be available through your state department of agriculture. The Organic Certification Cost Share Program reimburses organic farmers for up to 75% of the cost of annual organic certification, with a maximum payment of $750. USDA recently announced the process for states to receive these funds. States must enter into an agreement with USDA to receive these funds before they can distribute them to organic producers. The funds should be available to producers in the next several months. Check with your state agriculture department for state specific information. We expect that all states will apply for and distribute these funds. However, if your state is not making these funds available, please contact Tracy Lerman, Policy Program Organizer at (831) 426-6606 x 108 or tracy@ofrf.org.
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EPA to Disclose 'Inerts' in Pesticide Products
The U.S. EPA announced September 30 that it plans to disclose the identities of the so-called "inert" ingredients in pesticides, including those that are potentially hazardous. Inert ingredients, found in the majority of pesticide products, can comprise up to 99.9% of the final product. For more information, visit the Inert Disclosure Campaign webpage.
(From the Pesticide Action Network)
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DULY NOTED
OFRF to Recognize ARS Researcher for Organic Focus
OFRF will honor organic research pioneer Eric Brennan next week during our annual Fall Harvest Benefit Reception and Dinner in San Francisco. Brennan, based in Salinas, California, is the first researcher hired by the USDA’s Agriculture Research Service whose sole task is to study organic production systems. Learn more about Brennan’s eight years of research focusing on cover crops as a crucial element of organic systems on OFRF’s website.
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New OFRF-Funded Resource for On-Farm Entrepreneurs from Kerr Center
A new resource, Farm Made: A Guide to On-Farm Processing for Organic Producers,
available online, is jam-packed with information on processing organic ingredients into value-added organic products (including jam), right on the farm. The report was published by the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture with funding from OFRF. It is available free at the Kerr Center website.
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Nominations Sought for NRDC Growing Green Awards
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is seeking nominations for their 2010 Growing Green Awards. The Growing Green Awards will honor four individuals in the sustainable food movement, in the following categories: food producer, business leader, thought leader, and water steward. Nominations are due December 4, 2009. For more information visit the Growing Green Awards webpage.
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University of Calif. Small Farms Program Closing
The University of California (UC) Small Farms Program announced that it will be permanently shutting its doors on December 31, 2009. The program is being closed due to a budget shortfall in the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The closing of this program is a significant loss to California’s small farmers, as the program provided needed scale appropriate support to small, new, and immigrant farmers. For more information, visit the Small Farms Program website.
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What Rules do You Eat By?
New York Times columnist Michael Pollan wants to know your advice or rules for eating. Let him know on this NY Times webpage.
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Once again, we could not advocate effectively for organic agriculture if we did not have the support of organic farmer advocates such as you. Please send any questions, comments, clarifications, corrections, advice, well-wishes, and recipe ideas to Tracy Lerman, OFRF Policy Organizer, at tracy@ofrf.org.
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