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Mid-Term Elections Loom Large Over Next Farm Bill

Although agriculture issues will likely not be top of mind for voters in the upcoming midterm elections this November, the outcomes of this election cycle will certainly influence farm policy in a big way. Congress has recently begun rewriting and reauthorizing the current farm bill, which expires in 2023. The timing of this process is colliding with the upcoming midterms, whose outcome will shape what is in the farm bill and who gets to decide.

Summary: Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards Proposed Rule

On August 9, 2022 the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) published the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS) Proposed Rule to strengthen organic animal welfare standards.

Road to the 2023 Farm Bill

A running list of engagement opportunities, recap articles, and other helpful information leading up to the finalization of the 2023 Farm Bill.  

National Organic Program: Priority Setting and Continuous Improvement Update 

Since April 2021, when the Organic Trade Association (OTA) celebrated the introduction of the Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act (CIAO) by our champions in Congress, the association has been hard at work to keep continuous improvement and accountability moving forward. OTA and our members have continued to advocate for a more transparent and streamlined organic rulemaking process so that the industry can keep pace with the demands of a changing marketplace and consumer expectations.

House Appropriations Committee Advances FY 2023 Agriculture Spending Bill

The House Appropriations Committee passed their Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs markup on June 23, 2022 by a 31-26 vote.

OTA Comments: Competition

Following President Biden’s Executive Order on “Promoting Competition in the American Economy,” which creates a White House Competition Council and directs Federal agency actions to enhance fairness and competition across America's economy, USDA is directed (among other things) to submit a report on the effect of retail concentration and retailers' practices on competition in the food industries.

Organic Trade Association Recommendations for New Organic Transition Initiative

Following a series of working groups and listening sessions with Organic Trade Association (OTA) members throughout the last year, on June 1, 2022, USDA announced its intention to invest $300 million into a new Organic Transition Initiative program as part of the USDA Food System Transformation Framework. 

RMA to Partially Address Organic Agriculture Crop Insurance Concerns

“What’s in a word? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” –William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet In a recent flurry of press releases and federal rulemaking, USDA’s Risk […]

Setting Up Priorities for Organic for Next Farm Bill

It seems like just yesterday that the 2018 Farm Bill was signed into law. Now, the fruits of that labor are finally being implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture […]

The Dirt on Organic Farming Podcast OATS Answers Some of the Most Common Skepticisms of Organic

Over the years, I have been asked some really tough questions about organic farming. Whether it’s from my uncle at Thanksgiving who fears that organic can never produce high enough […]

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