USDA takes step forward in advancement of organic standards

In a move years in the making, the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service will hold a public listening session, with request for comment, regarding upcoming standards and development activities and to gather feedback about specific recommendations received from the National Organic Standards Board. 

This comes as the result of years of advocacy by the Organic Trade Association and Congress to create transparency around the organic rule-making process, the OTA said in a news release. In response to the AMS announcement, the association issued the following comment from OTA CEO and Executive Director Laura Batcha:

“Organic is one of the most robustly regulated agricultural label claims out there, but it’s the deep trust producers and consumers have in organic that make it truly special. When (the National Organic Program) allows critical recommendations to update the organic standards to languish for years — in some cases, decades — that trust starts to erode.

“We are encouraged to see this process finally moving forward and urge USDA to act with expediency. We are also grateful to our allies in Congress who cosponsored the Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act bipartisan legislation to expedite the rule-making process and ensure organic remains the most trusted claim on the market.” 

The Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act represents the most significant assessment to date of USDA’s track record on advancing organic standards, the OTA said.

The bill requires USDA to advance and implement recommendations from the organic industry in a timely manner and to ensure the continuous improvement of organic standards. 

It was introduced in the House in April of 2021 by Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Ron Kind (D-WI), and has over 20 cosponsors. 

The OTA continues its work to expand the market for organic products. Most recently, the OTA formed an alliance with the National Latino Farmers and Ranchers Trade Association in an effort to further organic certifications and to help both organizations strengthen their impact on national public policy, the OTA said in the release.