OFRF, the Organic Seed Alliance, and
the Center for Food Safety to support
work to conserve genetic diversity, protect seed integrity, and promote organic seed research on topics such as
seed processing, storage, quality, and
managing seedling diseases.
In addition to the projects noted
above, Jane Sooby, OFRF’s grants pro-
gram director, has identified a continu-
ing need for research regarding
marketing alternatives for farmers,
post-harvest procedures to maintain
quality, and overall food safety. Sooby
explains that pending food safety legis-
lation, which requires expensive
HAACP programs, may put a lot of
pressure on small family farms. Sooby
says there is a need for lower-cost sys-
tems to assess whether or not proce-
dures have been followed and points
out, “Organic certification already of-
fers a model for a food safety audit trail
and that needs to be acknowledged.”
In 2009, the House passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act (H.R. 2749),
which acknowledges that organic production warrants special consideration. Now
pending before the Senate, the Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510) includes
provisions that give National Organic Program representatives input into estab-
lishing science-based minimum standards for the safe production and harvesting
of fruits and vegetables, and ensure that no requirements conflict with or dupli-
cate the requirements of the NOP. As of early June, the pending legislation had
not yet been brought to the Senate floor. OTA and the industry will continue to
work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and USDA to make sure or-
ganic practices are recognized in any food safety requirements.
