By Vinnie Trometter, OFRF Policy Manager
OFRF has been working hard to increase support for organic research on Capitol Hill. Every year, OFRF submits requests for organic research priorities as part of the annual Congressional appropriations process. Our actions ensure that OFRF is fighting for more organic research funding that can result in breakthrough innovations for organic farmers each year, even outside of the Farm Bill.
Feedback from Congress shows that support for increasing organic research funding is growing. Ten Senators submitted an organic research support letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee. This was double the number from last year. In the House of Representatives, a bipartisan group of 31 members of Congress submitted a similar letter to the House Appropriations Committee. This was five more than last year. Last year’s letter was also not bipartisan.
The results of these letters indicate that more policymakers want more organic research funding to keep up with the rapidly growing organic market in the U.S. This increased support helped secure two victories in the FY2027 House Agriculture Appropriations bill that will benefit organic farmers. The first is the inclusion of language requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct an economic impact study to analyze how organic agriculture affects the labor market, environmental quality, land ownership, social dynamics, and vitality of local economies. Organic farmers and those interested in transitioning to organic agriculture will be able to use the results of this study to better understand holistically how organic agriculture affects their communities. Another victory is the language that tasks the Agriculture Research Service (ARS) with continuing support for organic research that studies critical producer-identified constraints in the Upper Midwest, such as weed management and soil fertility, and with supporting coordinated research on crops, livestock integration, soil health, and nutrient efficiency to meet demand for organic foods.
Though we were unsuccessful in increasing funding for important research programs like the Organic Transitions Program (ORG) and the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE), this was largely because of the tight fiscal environment in Washington, D.C. However, we believe our small successes will be critical in better informing organic and organic interested farmers with farming decisions and innovations that, as a whole, will benefit organic agriculture.
Broadly, funding for organic agriculture research needs to increase in parallel with the growth of the overall organic market. In 2025, the domestic organic market grew by almost 7%, which was the largest annual growth rate since the pandemic. The market is now worth over $76.6 billion and is expected to reach $100 billion by the end of the decade. However, less than 2% of the USDA’s agricultural research budget is allocated to dedicated organic research, despite organics accounting for around 6% of all U.S. food sales, including 15% of all produce sales, across the country.
Publicly funded agricultural research has a high return on investment for both taxpayers and farmers. The USDA Economic Research Service states that every $1 invested in agriculture research generates $20 dollars of economic activity and that increases in productivity arising from innovation and changes in technology are the main contributors to economic growth in agriculture.
Imagine how much the organic market would grow if dedicated organic research got the same proportion of funding as its market penetration? This would mean more funding for researchers at state land-grant universities, non-profits, and ARS to find solutions for the most pressing organic agricultural issues in their regions and nationwide. Extension services would also expand in tandem since the bulk of all dedicated organic research are competitive grants under the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which must have extension activities built into each project. Additionally, many of these projects also help with market development. As a result, increased funding for organic research would not only provide more tools and best practices for organic farmers, but also more opportunities for them to learn from researchers and sell into expanded markets.
Regions with underdeveloped organic agricultural footprints but strong increases in demand for organic foods stand to benefit the most from broad increases in organic research funding. Take, for instance, the Southeastern U.S. This region had the highest growth in demand for organic produce, yet was among the least productive for organic agricultural output in the country. This dichotomy makes the Southeast a perfect region for projects that integrate research, extension, and market development. Regions with more established organic agricultural sectors will, of course, also benefit as their organic producers become even better positioned to capitalize on growing nationwide demand. Nationwide, increased organic research will improve the competitiveness of our domestic industry as a whole. This is particularly important for certain industries, such as organic beef, where the majority of its 44% growth seen last year was due to imports.
OFRF will continue to update organic farmers and researchers about changes to organic research as the United States Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee develops its own FY2027 Agriculture Appropriations bill. OFRF will be tracking the markup, so be sure to sign up for our email list and follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) to see how organic research is impacted!
