The Organic Trade Association is in the midst of a two-week “Congressional fly-in” to engage legislators on climate change.
From Sept. 21-Oct. 2, almost 60 organic stakeholders representing the diverse organic supply chain are virtually converging on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to talk about how organic agriculture can be part of the climate change solution, according to a news release.
The unorthodox fly-in, via video conferencing, is necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Organic Trade Association and others in organic industry are attending more than 30 scheduled meetings with lawmakers and their staffs.
“Climate change is a real threat to all of us, and bold policy solutions are required to mitigate the impacts and help farmers and communities adapt to the changing climate,” Laura Batcha, CEO and executive director of the Organic Trade Association, said in a news release. “We are grateful to our members for their engagement, especially as many of them are struggling with the devastating results of climate change in their areas in the form of wildfires.”
The association recently released a report on organic agriculture and its ability to mitigate climate change. It identifies policy opportunities and makes recommendations to elevate organics in the climate change discussion, according to the release.
Congress is showing a renewed interest in climate policy, and momentum for transformative action to prevent the most devastating impacts of climate change is happening now,” Megan DeBates, director of legislative affairs and coalitions for the Organic Trade Association, said in the release. “It’s important that our members reach out to Congress now to begin the important discussions to advance organic in climate policy, and to develop policies that will enable all to benefit from organic’s ability to mitigate climate change.”
Related stories:
USDA proposes organic enforcement rule, suggests user fees
Organic food sales top $50B in 2019, up 4.6%
