new administration are encouraging.
The National Organic Program (NOP)
is now an independent program within
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, and Miles McEvoy, a leader within
the organic movement, is its first
deputy administrator. Meanwhile, top
USDA officials, Secretary Tom Vilsack
and Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merri-gan, have shown support for a strong
NOP. As proof of this, USDA has doubled the budget and staff of the NOP,
and has begun to move beyond the
NOP to all USDA agencies for more
extensive work on organic.
Clearly, the time is ripe for the government to forge a comprehensive organic agenda, created in partnership
with the wide range of stakeholders in
the organic community, as envisioned
20 years ago by the drafters of Organic
Foods Production Act (OFPA).
In April, USDA advertised a new position to coordinate organic projects
across all its agencies. Mark Lipson,
who had served as senior policy analyst
at the Organic Farming Research
Foundation, accepted the new position
of program specialist for organic farming at USDA in Washington, D.C. and
started work on June 14. According to
the job description, this position will
coordinate development of a national
organic farm plan, which NOAP stakeholders have sought. In addition, he is
charged with identifying, monitoring
and evaluating organic activities across
agencies within the USDA.
With the initiative to integrate organic across agencies within USDA,
the organic sector can expect to gain
ground in conservation and nutrition
programs, as well as in marketing and
data collection.
OTA is looking to identify opportu-
nities within the USDA for enhanced
or new programs for organic produc-
ers and handlers. These could include
programs that would incorporate or-
ganic into Women, Infants and Chil-
dren (WIC) nutrition programs
nationwide, provide organic informa-
tion at all Farm Service Agency offices, establish an organic small-business techni-
cal-assistance service, and allocate money to 4-H clubs to educate youth on or-
ganic farming.
Working Toward Global Regulatory Harmonization
As we go into the next phase of Organic 2.0, and the organic industry becomes
more of a global marketplace, we must find ways to make international trade
more efficient. With differences in standards among countries, various barriers to
trade of organic products have arisen. The next stage, which we have already en-
tered, is to negotiate agreements between countries throughout the world to facil-
itate organic trade. The historic achievement of an equivalency agreement
between the United States and Canada in 2009 marked the beginning of this ef-
fort. The sector can anticipate more ne-
gotiations for further agreements, with
the future ultimately offering an era of
harmonization, where standards are
common.
Currently, discussions are moving for-
ward between the United States and the
EU on possible equivalence, as well as
trade discussions with the Republic of
South Korea and resolution of trade is-
sues at ports of entry around the world.
In May, OTA formed a U.S.-EU Equiva-
lence Task Force whose mandate is to
monitor, analyze and discuss emerging
issues from organic equivalency discus-
sions between the two trading partners.
OTA is also establishing a U.S.-Mexico
Task Force, and the U.S.-Canada Task
Force will remain active throughout the
implementation. In addition to Canada,
OTA has provided technical and strategic support for the negotiation of a trade
arrangement with Taiwan and a letter of agreement with Japan.
“As we go into the next phase of Organic 2.0, and the organic industry becomes more of a global marketplace, we must find ways to make international trade more fficient.”
Expanding Research to Support the Movement
Aside from looking at the nutritional attributes of organic food, many questions still need to be researched in the areas of organic agricultural production
and trade to support farmers and manufacturers. In addition, research is critical
in illustrating the need for the NOAP to both government and the public.
Data to Support Organic Agricultural Development. In 2007, the Organic
Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) published its National Organic Research
Agenda 2007, which outlined a number of research needs for organic agriculture.
The intention was to inspire research to help organic farmers and improve the
agricultural, environmental and economic performance of their production sys-
tems. It addressed four production-related topics:
• soil microbial life, fertility management, and soil quality;
• systemic management of plant pests (weeds, insects, diseases);
• organic livestock and poultry management systems; and
Currently, OFRF is working on the Seed Matters project launched by the Clif
Bar Family Foundation. The foundation has pledged $500,000 over five years to
