Why Organic News

October 26, 2018 – With the expiration of the 2014 Farm Bill on September 30, 2018, Congress allowed a wide range of important food and farm programs to also expire. These programs lost their authority to operate, and in some cases their funding. Among the programs thrown into limbo by this delayed Farm Bill is the main competitive organic research grant program at USDA, the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI).

While, USDA was able to make organic research grants for 2018 (a more detailed overview of 2018 projects can be found here for OREI and here for ORG projects), OREI is now stranded without funding or authorization until a new Farm Bill is passed into law. While the ORG program is subject to annual Congressional appropriations, it is a much smaller program compared with OREI. Next year’s appropriations package has also not been passed by Congress.  This means, that until a new Farm Bill is signed into law, research for organic farming systems will slow to a trickle, and could stop completely.

This is a challenge for farmers who rely on OREI and ORG-funded research to address pest, disease, supply chain, and other barriers to organic production, and one that OFRF has been working hard to overcome. For almost three decades OFRF has been on the forefront of the organic movement, awarding $3.2M in research grants across the United States. Our research projects have resulted in scientific improvements in plant breeding, soil health, water use, and carbon sequestration. Many of our grant recipients have used initial OFRF awards to leverage significant additional funding from state and federal programs such as OREI. Funding innovative work at the early stages becomes and enhanced and very impactful when researchers are able to grow their programs and continue to work at a larger scale.

Donate to support OFRF’s organic programs. As a result of OFRF’s research, education, and outreach efforts thousands of farmers have taken advantage of cutting-edge research and trainings. This is more important than ever with the expiration of the Farm Bill.

With Congress unlikely to return to Washington, DC before the November elections, our focus is to help pass a good, bipartisan Farm Bill before the end of 2018. In a sweeping show of bipartisanship, the Senate voted 86-11 to pass their well-rounded version of the Farm Bill. However, negotiations have stalled and we are running out of legislative days left 2018.

Now is the time to rally around adopting a new bill this year. We urge members of Congress to pass a Farm Bill based on the Senate version, which included historic support for several key organic programs. At this point, even a short-term Farm Bill extension may leave key organic programs without any funding.

October 26, 2018 – SupplySide West is coming up in Las Vegas November 6th through the 10th. OFRF’s Executive Director, Brise Tencer, will be speaking on “The State of Organic” on Friday, November 9th at 11:30 as part of Esca Bona at SupplySide West Education, a platform to engage and serve companies working to create a better food system.

Leading up to the event, Brise was interviewed by Heather Granato, Vice President of Content for SupplyWide West for their Healthy Insider Podcast. Among other things, they discuss:

• Steps that companies can take to support domestic organic production, meeting consumers’ interest for “local” products with a traceable supply chain.
• Why it’s important for a full supply chain partnership to support farmers to get through the three-year transition period to certified organic production.
• The importance of effective communication and education for consumers about organic, and how that could further bolster sales of those products.

Listen to the podcast here.

October 25, 2018 – A new study reported in the New York Times on October 22^nd examines the relationship between an organic food-based diet and cancer risk. Funded entirely by public and government funds at the Center of Research in Epidemiology and Statistics Sorbonne Paris Cite, researchers collected data for five years on the consumption frequency and dietary intake of 68,946 French adults, primarily women.

They concluded that a higher frequency of organic food consumption was associated with a reduced risk of cancer. The most frequent consumers of organic food had 25 percent fewer cancers overall than those who never ate organic. Participants that ate the most organic foods had a significant drop in the incidence of lymphomas and postmenopausal breast cancers.

Although more research is needed to confirm these findings, choosing organic is a good idea for many reasons and one we’re behind wholeheartedly!

Reach the full report.

October 11, 2018 – Please join OFRF and eOrganic for a series of eight free webinar trainings on organic farming and soil health in the Western U.S. The webinars will target agricultural professionals including Extension personnel, other agency personnel, and agricultural consultants in an effort to increase expertise in organic practices that promote soil health.

As a complement to OFRF’s Organic Farming and Soil Health Guidebooks, this series will highlight soil health research and practices specific to the Western Region. The goal is to address the need for region-specific resources and knowledgeable Extension services related to organic soil health, biology, nutrient cycling, and more.

Dr. Mark Schonbeck of OFRF will be joined by experts in the Western Region to review the most recent soil health research and practices relevant to the Western Region. The webinars will provide an overview of the topic, best practices for the Western Region, in-depth analysis of the latest research, and an extensive question and answer session after each presentation.

View the webinars:

– Ecological Nutrient Management for Organic Production in the Western Region

– Ecological Weed Management for the Western Region

– Practical Conservation Tillage for Western Region Organic Cropping Systems

– Selecting and Managing Cover Crops for Organic Crop Rotations in the Western Region

– Breeding New Cultivars for Soil-enhancing Organic Cropping Systems in the Western Region

– Preparing for Drought: the Role of Soil Health in Water Management in Organic Production

– Meeting Weather Challenges in the Western U.S.: Organic Practices to Mitigate and Prepare for Climate Change

– Soil Biology for the Western Region: Organic Practices to Recruit and Nurture Beneficial Biota in the Soil

September 25, 2018 – Congress has less than a week to pass a new Farm Bill before the current law expires on September 30th. With the Ag Committee negotiators far apart on major issues, the chances of a Farm Bill getting done on time are slim.

The last time this happened, in 2012, Congress passed short term extensions to keep Farm Bill programs running. This time, an extension of current law isn’t being considered yet. Both Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts and ranking member Debbie Stabenow have suggested an extension may not be necessary until the end of 2018 because much of the existing policies would not revert to decades-old law until the start of 2019.

With a new Congress scheduled to meet on January 3rd if a Farm Bill isn’t passed by then, both the House and Senate would need to reintroduce the legislation and take another vote. This would, in essence, start the Farm Bill process all over again.

Major conservation initiatives, for instance, would be in a tough spot as would dozens of other programs. Here are the organic programs that would be affected.

Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI)
OREI is a USDA competitive grants program dedicated to organic agriculture research. This program is in jeopardy. Until another Farm Bill is passed the USDA will be unable to administer any grant programs through OREI, unless a short-term extension is passed that explicitly includes additional funding for this program.

While both the House and the Senate bills increase funding for OREI, only the Senate bill increases funding up to establish permanent baseline funding for the program. This means funding for OREI would increase annually to $50 million and ensure permanent investments in the future of organic agriculture.

OREI has a proven track record of addressing the unique research challenges that organic farmers and processors face. Investing in organic research is central to the goal of increasing domestic production of organic crops to better meet expanding demand.

Organic Certification Cost Share
Organic certification verifies that a farm or handling facility complies with USDA organic regulations and allows the certified operation to use the USDA organic seal. In order to be certified organic, farmers must go through a rigorous annual organic certification process, which can be expensive. Organic certification cost share assistance can help small and mid-sized organic farm businesses afford annual certification costs, which range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

The National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (NOCCSP) provides organic farmers with of up to $750 reimbursement to cover a portion of their annual certification fees. The House bill eliminates all Farm Bill funding for National Organic Certification Cost Share Program, while the Senate bill renews existing funding of $11.5 million annually for the program.

Until a new farm bill is passed, there will be no additional funds available for NOCCSP, and it is unclear if USDA will continue to administer the program.

Organic Production and Market Data Initiative (ODI)
ODI is a USDA initiative between the Economic Research Service, National Agriculture Statics Service, and the Agricultural Marketing Service. The initiative collects market and production data that supports risk management as well as providing vital information on market and production trends. Both the House and Senate bill provide $5 million in mandatory funding for this program. If a farm bill is not passed, this program may be able to limp along at a much lower funding levels through agricultural appropriations. However, without a Farm Bill funding renewal, much of the organic data collection and reporting that supports the growth and development of the organic sector will be lost.

Organic import Fraud
Both the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill include increased organic import enforcement authority, along with $5 million in one-time mandatory funding to improve import tracking systems. These changes are necessary to increase the oversight responsibilities and resources for the National Organic Program (NOP). Without a Farm Bill, the USDA will not have the expanded resources and increased authority to protect the integrity of the organic sector.

OFRF urges congress to pass a full Farm Bill as quickly as possible, taking into full account the leadership Senate has shown on organic research and cost share funding. If a Farm Bill is not passed before January 2019, organic programs must be included in an extension or many critical programs that farmers and communities rely on will grind to halt.

September 19, 2018 – By Tim Schultz, Vice President of Research & Development for Lundberg Family Farms and OFRF Board Member

This year’s Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore began with a flurry of excitement as Hurricane Florence headed for the Southeast Coast of the United States. Early in the week, the Governor of Maryland declared a state of emergency in anticipation of potentially devastating wind, rain, and storm surge. By the time the show opened, it was pretty clear the storm and its horrendous damage, would be focused much further south, and the show continued on, though many registrants decided not to brave the elements.

Wednesday started with a big statement from the Organic Trade Association, which placed a full page ad in the Wall Street Journal, listing all of the prohibited chemicals in the National Organic Program. This was in response to many false and misleading articles and editorials about the state of organic in the US. It was a bold move by OTA, and generated quite the buzz at the show.

Wednesday afternoon, the Harvest Festival, got into full swing on the terrace of the Baltimore Convention Center, with many companies exhibiting their latest and greatest organic products, and a few organizations, like OFRF, sharing its work to advance organic farming. I was joined by Stephanie Henry at the OFRF booth, and shared the work being done by OFRF, as well as the excellent literature we publish. There was a lot of enthusiasm for OFRF’s Soil Health Webinar Series expressed by folks who stopped by the booth, and great appreciation for the Soil Health Guidebooks OFRF has published.

Wednesday night was topped off with the OTA Awards Dinner, recognizing some distinguished organic leaders, including Margaret Scoles, Javier Zamora, and Stephanie and Blake Alexandre. The stories they shared reminded me of why I love this industry, how committed its participants are to making a better world, and the shared passion so many folks have in expanding the reach of organic.

The formal show kicked off Thursday morning, and the halls were buzzing with excitement. Lots of great educational tracks were available to participants. CCOF had a luncheon for its Foundation that supports beginning organic farmers, and we were treated to another heartfelt story from one of its scholarship recipients, Shannon Good, who shared how the grant is helping her dream of having an organic dairy come true. It is really inspirational to see the remarkable young people coming up who will take on the continued expansion of organic in the years ahead. Thursday evening was a fun time to contribute to another good cause, the Organic PAC, with an awesome R&B band, Affirmative Groove, providing an outstanding sound track for the participants to enjoy. Lots of good dancing by all, including Miles McEvoy showing us his best moves! The event set a record for attendance, and had an excellent representation of twenty-somethings!!

Friday morning, I had the privilege of staffing OFRF’s table outside of the morning’s keynote presentations, along with six other not-for-profit organizations. Lots of talented and passionate people are contributing to the organic movement, from research to certification to supporting new farmers, and I was proud to be able to represent OFRF in that line-up.

By Friday, it was clear that the theme of “hot products” at the show was hemp, and all things related to it. Senator McConnell (R-KY) seems to have become quite the advocate for hemp farming, and if the number of products featuring some hemp derivative was any indication, there should be quite a demand for organic hemp in the years to come. Always good to see more crops coming online for American farmers, to help diversify their options and make farming more viable.

The show wrapped-up on Saturday, and while attendance was down, enthusiasm was high, as was optimism for the future of organic. The next Expo East show will be in Baltimore September 12-14, 2019, and then the following year, in Philadelphia, as the Baltimore Convention Center will be closed for a much needed renovation. I’m looking forward to seeing my organic friends and colleagues again in March at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, and joining OFRF with its annual fund raising luncheon to kick off the show.”

Ed. Note: Congratulations to Tim for winning OTA’s 2018 Member of the Year award! All of us at OFRF are honored to have the opportunity to work with such a fantastic champion of organic agriculture.

September 11, 2018 –  OFRF Executive Director, Brise Tencer was interviewed by Food Sleuth Radio for a podcast that aired August 30th. In the episode, host Melinda Hemmelgarn asks Brise to explain the benefits of organic food and farming and how certification helps both farmers and consumers. They also discuss the challenges facing organic farmers—how research can help—and why there needs to be greater investment in organic research.

Give a listen!

September 6, 2018 – By Lauren Snyder, Education and Research Program Associate at OFRF

One of my roles at OFRF is to disseminate information on organic farming practices to diverse audiences. A couple of weeks ago, I traveled to San Luis Obispo to give a presentation on the principles and practices of building soil health at an organic research symposium hosted by Nutrien Ag Solutions, the world’s largest agriculture inputs company. Interestingly, I learned that their crop consultants are increasingly working with organic farmers and Nutrien Ag Solutions has identified a need to expand their knowledge of organic production practices.

For me, this speaking invitation is a clear indication that the organic industry has the ear of large, multi-national organizations that increasingly recognize organic producers as key players in the U.S. food system. Even more heartening is the realization that these companies are listening to the needs of organic farmers, who have identified soil health as a top research priority. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to foster communication between diverse stakeholders in our food system and to broaden my audience beyond researchers and practitioners already established in organic production systems. One of the most exciting aspects of my work at OFRF is the opportunity to interact not only with those who are long-standing players in the field of organics, but also those who are curious to learn more about organic practices and the benefits they can provide to communities and the environment.

September 6, 2019 – The Farm Bill Conference Committee, composed of nine Senators and 47 Representatives, met publicly for the first time on September 6^th. The House and Senate each passed different versions of the Farm Bill this year, tasking the Conference Committee with crafting a final version that will have to go back to both the House and Senate for approval, before being sent to the President for signature before it expires on September 30, 2018. This is no small task.

The hearing was mostly comprised of opening statements, as many members of Congress from both sides of the aisle highlighted the need to get a Farm Bill done. However, there are stark differences between the current House and Senate versions, with the House version passing along party lines, and the Senate version being much more bipartisan. Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) of the Senate Agriculture Committee said, “In addition to having the support of over 500 groups, it [the Senate Farm Bill] passed on a historic vote of 86-11—the most votes a Farm Bill has ever received in the Senate since the very first bill in the 1933 during the depths of the Great Depression.”

As champions for organic farmers, OFRF is pleased that many members of Congress highlighted important organic issues at the Conference hearing, including the need for increased investment in organic research. With several programs set to expire if not reauthorized, Senator Stabenow discussed providing permanent investments for a number of important priorities including historic support for organic research that helps farmers tap into this fast-growing sector of agriculture.

In his opening statement, Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) also highlighted the importance of baseline funding for organic research and funding for organic cost share. While the Senate version included both baseline funding for organic research and funding for cost share, the House version did not. We are hopeful that Rep. Costa will be able to champion these key organic priorities as the conferees hash out the Farm Bill. He won’t be alone, as Rep. Michelle Lujan-Grisham (D-NM), the Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research, also expressed her support for organic research in the Farm Bill.

The Chairman of the Research Subcommittee, Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL), also showed his support for organics, specifically calling out protections against fraudulent organic imports that are in both bills, and the important investments in research that were included in the Senate Bill. One of the research provisions in the Senate bill includes baseline funding for organic research.

Senator Leahy summed things up well. “Another value and priority that our Farm Bill must support is America’s organic industry, which now totals $50 billion a year and is growing.” During the hearing, Senator Leahy said, “We must continue investments in organic research, certification, and enforcement that allow consumers to trust the USDA organic seal and ensure that American farmers who have invested so much can continue to be successful.”

OFRF will continue its work to ensure all members of the Farm Bill Conference Committee understand the importance of the organic provisions in the Farm Bill.

August 30, 2018 – By Carolyn Dimitri, Associate Professor of Food Studies, New York University, Board Member, OFRF

Earlier this month, Secretary Sonny Perdue of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced his intention to move the Economic Research Service (ERS) from Washington, DC and place it under the direction of the politically appointed Office of the Chief Economist. These changes will result in the loss of expertise and jeopardize the quality, relevance, and overall integrity of the agency’s research.

As a federal research agency focused on food and agricultural issues, USDA ERS is a forward looking organization that identifies pressing research questions and engages in analysis to fully understand our food system. The range and quantity of issues ERS analyzes is vast, covering the entire the food system—from farm to table and everything in between.

Overall, the mission of ERS is to provide high quality, policy relevant, national level research on all matters related to food and agriculture. The agency serves as an incredible source of unbiased information about the costs and benefits to stakeholders in the food system. Only an independent, research focused government agency is able to accomplish this task.

The agency’s current location in Washington DC, and placement as a part of the USDA’s Research, Education and Economics mission area reinforces the fact that ERS works for the public interest. Moving ERS outside of Washington, DC and reorganizing the agency to be under the political thumb of the Office of the Chief Economist will likely undermine the integrity of the research, and could potentially jeopardize the operations of ERS for years to come.

Unlike other agencies that are exclusively farmer focused, ERS examines both agriculture and the entire food system. And as a federal research and statistical agency, ERS works with other professional agriculture and research federal organizations in the D.C. area. Having started my economics career at ERS, I enthusiastically developed a portfolio of research that considered the public good, without the constraints of satisfying academic requirements for tenure at a university, or the need to consider profit or partisan politics. While at USDA, I was able to research and report on organic agriculture without outside political pressure, in order to provide impartial scientific analysis for congressional and agency officials as well as the program agencies of USDA that deliver key agricultural, environmental and food system services.

ERS serves the public interest by examining food and agriculture programs for all stakeholders including farmers, producers, consumers, food and agriculture companies, and addresses the types of relationships that facilitate the movement of food along the supply chain. The complexity of these relationships cannot be overstated, and the research and analysis of programs that impact our food and agriculture systems should not be tainted or swayed by the politics of any administration.

Being in Washington, DC, in close proximity with other federal research and statistical agencies allowed me and my ERS colleagues to directly interact with research and economics professionals to efficiently and effectively do our work. Now, sitting in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University as a PhD applied economist, I am continually impressed with the integrity and quality of economic analysis and reporting of ERS . . . but I am concerned about the future. I urge Congress to put a stop to this disrupting move and reorganization that would lead to a dismantling of a government research agency that is respected throughout the food and agriculture community.