Editor’s Note: This blog post was originally published as a guest post on the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s website. The post is authored by OFRF’s Gordon Merrick, Senior Policy and Programs Manager and Mark Schonbeck, OFRF Research Associate.

field day with participants looking at a field of sunflowers

Photo credit: Matt Ryan/Sandra Wayman

The world is increasingly recognizing the value of sustainable food systems, and organic agriculture plays a vital role in this movement. Organic practices enhance soil health and biodiversity, foster resource regeneration, and help mitigate and build resilience to climate change. This translates to healthier food and a healthier environment and reduces reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

However, recent budget proposals by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggest a concerning decrease in funding for organic research programs. If implemented, this shift could stifle the progress documented by these programs, hindering the growth and innovation of the organic sector at a critical juncture.

For the FY25 budget, NIFA is suggested a $3.5 million, or a nearly 50% budget decrease, for the Organic Transitions Research Program (ORG), justifying it through the need to transfer organic research funding into broader programs like the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). Yet, a closer look reveals a gap exists between stated intentions, even congressional direction, and reality. This analysis found that AFRI has historically funded low levels of organic research, while the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) has been erratic in supporting organic research projects. Both programs have a sustained trend of funding fewer and fewer organic research projects.

On the other hand, analysis of past funding allocations through dedicated organic agriculture programs reveals a wealth of cutting-edge research and innovative outreach that can support organic, transitioning, and conventional producers in succeeding. Nonetheless, there are also persistent knowledge gaps regarding specific needs and challenges that organic producers face that must be addressed.

A Flourishing Landscape of Organic Research at Risk

A review conducted by our organization, the Organic Farming Research Foundation, revealed a flourishing landscape of existing USDA-funded research and outreach with significant value to organic agriculture. We examined projects funded between 2015 and 2021 through the Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) and the ORG. These programs stand as testaments to the power of dedicated research in propelling the organic sector forward, reinforcing that this is no time to stop growing or even suggest reducing their impact. They offer valuable resources and practical solutions for organic and transitioning producers, as well as conventional producers interested in ecologically and economically sound practices. These programs work together synergistically to build the scientific foundation for a more successful, climate-friendly, and resource-conserving organic agricultural sector that can thrive well into the future.

Investing in organic research provides farmers, both certified organic and non-certified, with innovative solutions and practical tools that enhance profitability, mitigate financial and ecological risks, and foster economic growth and social well-being in rural communities. By addressing specific challenges and knowledge gaps, dedicated research funding helps current and aspiring organic farmers overcome barriers to realizing this potential.

Let’s delve into a few examples of how dedicated funding has demonstrably fostered innovation within organic agriculture.

Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI)

The OREI program awards funds for research conducted on certified organic land to address production, marketing, and socioeconomic constraints on the growth of the organic sector and to elevate the economic and social benefits of organic farming.

OREI funds integrated projects that combine research with an outreach component—extension (delivering practical outcomes to producers) and/or education (training students and service providers in organic practices). The UC Davis Student Collaborative for Organic Plant Breeding Education (SCOPE) is an excellent example. This initiative trains future plant breeders and develops new crop varieties specifically suited for organic systems. It addresses a critical need for organic producers who often lack access to cultivars optimized for their production methods.

Most OREI projects address multiple aspects of an organic farming system, practice, problem, or commodity. For example, researchers utilize the long-term farming systems trials at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service station in Beltsville, MD, to address nutrients, weeds, soil health, greenhouse gas mitigation, and net economic returns in organic field crop rotations. OREI also prioritizes research that takes place on working farms, like this research project that investigated the pest management services a robust bird population can provide orchards.

Additionally, OREI funds conferences and planning projects that bring farmers, processors, input vendors, buyers, chefs, researchers, service providers, and students together to share knowledge and innovations, identify priorities, develop integrated OREI proposals, and provide professional development opportunities. The 2022 Student Organic Seed Symposium and the 2021 Northeast Organic Seed Conference built robust and lasting collaborations. They engaged Black, Indigenous, and other minority farmers and scientists at a level not realized in the past.

Organic Transitions Research Program (ORG)

The ORG program focuses on helping producers overcome the challenges of transitioning to organic practices, such as production and marketing obstacles, infrastructure needs, and policy or administrative constraints. Additionally, ORG provides funding for research and development of alternatives to substances on the USDA’s National List of allowed synthetic substances, which are subject to periodic review and potential removal from the List. For example, ORG supports the development of fish meal in lieu of synthetic methionine supplements in poultry feed and the use of biological controls instead of streptomycin to manage fire blight in organic apple and pear production.

OREI and ORG benefit all major agricultural regions across the country by tackling region-specific challenges. For instance, farmers in the Southern region face acidic, low-fertility soils, intense weed, pest, and disease pressures, along with marketing and infrastructure constraints. Responding to these challenges with ORG and OREI projects, North Carolina State University researchers integrated cover crops, diverse rotations, and organic amendments to accelerate soil improvement. Additionally, a team at Texas A&M University combined cultivar selection, biological seed treatments, cover crops, and seeding rates to enhance weed, pest, and disease resilience and increase yield in organic rice.

Addressing Critical Production Challenges to Fuel Innovation

OREI- and ORG-funded research benefits all farmers and ranchers, not just those who hold or seek USDA Organic Certification. Many conventional farmers implement organic practices such as compost applications, diversified rotations, cover cropping, or biological integrated pest management (IPM) to build healthy soil and reduce the direct and environmental costs of production.

USDA organic research has addressed top challenges identified by organic farmers in a recent OFRF survey, including:

  • Soil health, fertility, and crop nutrition.
  • Maintaining yields and managing production costs.
  • Managing weeds, diseases, and pests.
  • Accessing crop cultivars suited to organic systems (especially OREI).
  • Managing the farm as a system to reduce reliance on inputs.
  • Market research and development for organic commodities (especially OREI).
  • Overcoming barriers to organic transition (especially ORG).

Specific examples of OREI and ORG outcomes that address these challenges include:

  • Strategic crop rotations that maximize cover, minimize tillage, and limit weed competition in organic grains.
  • New organic crop and whole-rotation budgeting tools to help new and aspiring organic farmers assess and manage the economic risks of organic transition.
  • Development of carrot and tomato cultivars with enhanced plant-root-microbe associations for disease resistance, nutrient use efficiency, and nutritional quality.
  • Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD), a NOP-compliant alternative to soil fumigation that reduces pathogen loads and promotes a disease-suppressive soil microbiome to protect organic vegetables and strawberries.

Exploring Uncharted Knowledge Gaps

Working with limited funding, OREI and ORG have enabled tremendous strides in advancing the science and practice of organic farming and ranching over the past two decades. Yet, knowledge gaps remain that warrant additional research attention. These include:

  • Livestock and poultry breed development for organic systems.
  • Climate resilience strategies for organic systems.
  • Organic production of crop seeds and transplants.
  • Organic production of pork, beef, poultry and eggs, tree nuts, herbs, and cut flowers.
  • Managing soil health, pests, and diseases in protected cultivation such as high tunnels.
  • Organic utilization and production of perennial planting stock.
  • Policy and socioeconomic constraints on the growth of the organic sector (adopted in 2018 as a specific program priority).

While gaps exist, impactful projects are underway to address these challenges.

Scientists and farmers in Mississippi have identified sheep resistant to gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN), a significant hurdle in organic sheep production. These findings can inform breeding programs for improved animal health in organic systems. Additionally, research in dairy cattle genetics holds promise for identifying and evaluating breeds suited for organic production, which generally requires a lot more walking and mobility than conventional milk operations, a trait that has not been selected for in many commercial breeds.

Climate resilience has become a priority for OREI and ORG. For example, University of Wisconsin scientists are working with farmers to develop vegetable cultivars with increased resilience to the changing climate conditions in the Midwest. Similarly, Clemson University received funding to develop salt-tolerant rice cultivars for organic farms affected by rising sea levels. Further research is crucial to supporting organic farmers in simultaneously mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change.

Several OREI plant breeding projects train farmers in organic seed production. However, challenges remain. Difficulties with seed increases for cover crop breeding and a decline in organic seed production due to factors like climate change highlight the need for further research, outreach, and training in this critical area.

High tunnels offer high-return opportunities for organic producers but also present unique challenges regarding soil health (salinity, nutrient imbalances) and specific pests and diseases. OREI-funded research on cover crops for high tunnels and advanced IPM strategies has made significant progress in addressing these challenges. However, further research is needed to optimize organic production fully within high tunnels in all regions.

From a commodities perspective, OREI- and ORG-funded research has greatly advanced the support for a wide range of agricultural commodities, fostering innovation and diversification among organic farmers. Researchers at the University of Minnesota are tackling the leading challenges in organic pork production, including swine nutrition and parasite control. Several teams, including those at Washington State University, the Agricultural Research Service in Mississippi, and Montana State University, have made advances in managing diseases in organic poultry and integrating crop and poultry production to improve soil, nutrient, and weed management. Researchers at Middle State Tennessee University were awarded an ORG grant that has supported the research and development of advanced biological control strategies to manage diseases in the medicinal herb ginseng, a high-value crop for the region. Beef, pork, tree nuts, and herbs play important roles in American diets, and demand for cut flowers continues to be strong; yet, organic market share for these products remains low. Additional research is needed to remove barriers to expanding organic production and sales of these commodities.

The Road Ahead for Investing in a Sustainable Future

A thriving organic sector offers numerous benefits, including environmental sustainability, economic growth, and increased consumer choice. Without robust, consistent investments in organic agriculture research into critical topics like livestock breeding, addressing agronomic challenges, and organic seed production, the organic sector will not be able to reach its full potential. These research efforts are essential for building a resilient food and farm system that meets the growing consumer demand for organic products while safeguarding the environment and providing economic opportunities to rural communities.

Positive signs are on the horizon. With annual OREI funding increasing to $50 million in 2023, the program has considerably increased its capacity to address these research needs. The research being funded by these programs can be perused using USDA’s DataGateway. Given its history of supporting highly innovative and practical research, ORG merits an increased investment through formal authorization in the next Farm Bill and robust funding in the annual Appropriations process. Continued and strengthened support for both OREI and ORG is crucial.

Organic agriculture is crucial for sustainable farming, biodiversity, a healthy food system, and combating climate change. However, the 2024 Farm Bill falls short in addressing the funding needs for organic agriculture research.

We are working with the National Organic Coalition to make sure your voice is heard by providing a tool to send a personalized message to your representatives, urging them to support increased funding in organic agriculture research. By investing in the future of organic agriculture, we can unlock its full potential and contribute to a more sustainable and healthy food system for all.