Green Lemon
The mandate of the task force is to inform OTA’s comments in response to NOSB Crops Subcommittee Discussion Documents and Proposals related to ammonia extract.. Work on this Task Force is facilitated by Johanna Mirenda, Farm Policy Director.
The Organic Trade Association's Personal Care Products Task Force will further its best labeling practices for non-food products that are outside the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) scope of authority. In February 2019, the trade association’s Board of Directors formally adopted our "Best Labeling Practices for Textiles,” that was drafted by a member task force and endorsed by our Fiber Council. The document was developed as a starting point, and a prototype to work from, with the end goal of establishing a document that would apply to all non-food categories.
The mandate of this task force will use the general labeling guidelines adopted for textiles and apply them in the development of best labeling practices for Personal Care Products. Participants must be well versed in USDA organic labeling regulations and be familiar with the organic claims and marketing. Work on this Task Force is facilitated by Gwendolyn Wyard, Vice President of Regulatory & Technical Affairs.
The mandate of the Climate Change Task Force is to engage with policymakers and key stakeholders on OTA’s climate policy principles and recommendations as adopted by OTA’s board of directors. The task force will utilize OTA’s diverse membership to amplify OTA’s voice in climate change policy discussions. The work of the task force will be ongoing as OTA’s advocacy on climate change issues will be a long-term priority. The task force will focus on advocacy of OTA’s climate priorities, establishing partnerships with key stakeholders, and evaluating existing and future policy proposals and legislation against OTA’s principles. The work on this Task Force is facilitated by Megan DeBates, Vice President of Government Affairs along with Johanna Mirenda, Farm Policy Director.
The mandate of the task force is to facilitate a conversation from OTA members on repairing the public-private partnership between USDA and the organic industry and generate strategic thinking for how organic will evolve within this partnership over the next decade and beyond. Work on this Task Force is facilitated by Megan DeBates, Vice President of Government Affairs.
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) continues to examine, track and define excluded methods (genetic engineering) as part of the effort to maintain the prohibition of USDA’s organic regulations. In preparation for a related proposal that will be released for the Fall 2021 NOSB meeting, the Organic Trade Association is convening a task force that will meet three times during the month of September. The mandate of the task force is to review NOSB’s proposal on excluded methods determinations and inform high-level comments that will be submitted on behalf of full membership. The proposal is due out the first week of September and the comment deadline is September 30. Our comments on the topic from the spring discussion document can be read here. Work on this Task Force is facilitated by Gwendolyn Wyard, Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs.
The Organic Trade Association’s Inerts Task Force works to identify and advance viable alternative solutions for evaluating inert ingredients that will ensure continued safety and availability of pest control tools that organic farmers rely upon when their preventive pest, weed, and disease management practices have failed. The Task Force will support continuous improvement in pesticide safety by exploring the viability of National List petitions to prohibit inerts that are not appropriate for organic production. The Task Force will also inform OTA’s comments to USDA regarding solutions to resolve the longstanding discrepancy on the National List with respect to EPA List 4 inert ingredients in pest controls.
The mandate of the Residues Task Force is to continue the Organic Trade Association's strong support of periodic residue testing as a critical tool to monitor compliance with the organic regulations and address challenges relating to unavoidable residual environmental contamination (UREC) and concentration factors. Work on this Task Force is facilitated by Johanna Mirenda, Farm Policy Director.
The mandate of this task force is to decide on and implement a strategy to either 1) raise the US tariff rate quota for organic sugar, 2) create an organic Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ), or 3) implement both options, if they are compatible. In addition, the Sugar Supply Task Force may decide to discuss relief via amendments to the coming Farm Bill or other strategies to be determined. Work on this Task Force is facilitated by Johanna Mirenda, Farm Policy Director.
Blue and Green
This task force will develop policy proposals related to the school lunch pilot program and expanding access to organic within the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) feeding programs as part of the upcoming Child Nutrition Act reauthorization by Congress. Work on this Task Force is facilitated by Megan DeBates, Vice President of Government Affairs.
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This task force will serve as a platform to voice and discuss issues regarding the changing regulations, and plan next steps for those involved in the EU market. The work will also address the impacts to UK-Brexit and organic trade. The group also serves as an advisory body on work related to our E.U. TASC funding. Work on this Task Force is facilitated by Alexis Carey, Associate Director of International Trade.
The mandate of this task force is to monitor, analyze, and discuss existing and emerging issues from organic trade discussions and issue resolutions between the United States and Mexico. The task force will provide input to FAS, NOP, and USTR on the industry's perspective on trade issues, technical talks, Mexico’s recently implemented organic regulations, and market potential. Task force members will also provide industry support and concerns regarding the potential opportunities and challenges that will be created by entering an organic equivalency arrangement with Mexico. Additionally, the task force will provide issue assessments regarding organic seed treatments in support of OTA / FAS / APHIS work on this issue. Work on this Task Force is facilitated by Alexis Carey, Associate Director of International Trade.
The Strengthening Organic Seed Usage Task Force's mandate is to assist the Organic Trade Association in identifying the strengths and weakness of NOSB’s draft proposals on seed, annual seedlings, and planting stock used in organic crop production, and inform the trade association’s comments to the NOSB on the areas of improvement needed. Work on this Task Force is facilitated by Gwendolyn Wyard, Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs.
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