This is the first blog in a series by Neel Koritala. Neel is a student at the University of Illinois studying Earth, Society, and Environmental Sustainability. Neel is interested in climate research and policy and has been a part of climate research in New Zealand. He will be sharing changes in state and federal policy concerning the food and farm system through blogs for The Land Connection in his last semester as a student.

The news cycle has certainly been busy the last month, so it might be difficult to remember back to December when, to prevent a shutdown, congress passed a continuing resolution. This resolution included funding for the Farm Bill, an important piece of policy ensuring funding for farmers nationwide, through September 30th, 2025. The 2018 Farm Bill originally expired on September 30, 2023. Congress has continued to extend the 2018 Bill instead of writing a new Farm Bill. Yet, with this latest extension, important funds for organics programs were left out.

Four major programs have not been funded.

• The Organic Data Initiative (ODI): collects and examines organic data to support market stability and competitiveness

• The Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI): funds research into organics and organic farming practices

• The Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP): reimburses 75% of certification costs for organic producers and handlers

• The Organic Certification Trade and Tracking Program (OCTT): prevents fraud and maintains quality control on organic imports.

Why does this matter?

The ODI plays an important role in planning organic farms. It gives prospective and current farm data on risk assessments and market planning. Without this program, planning and starting an organic farm becomes a more risky and difficult task.

OREI is a program that many farmers wouldn’t directly apply to and benefit from, but organizations like The Land Connection have used. There could be a stall in organic science and sustainable farming practices, as the funding for the research with OREI has paused. If you attended the 2019 Organic Grain Conference, you benefited directly from this grant program.

Smaller and mid-sized organic farms face increasingly higher certification costs, averaging around $2,800 annually. Without the OCCSP, this cost will be paid out-of-pocket, deterring many farms from pursuing certification. With OCCSP, the cost is cut down from $2,800 to $700 annually.

 The OCTT regulates fraudulent imports and enforces anti-fraud measures. Without funding, there could be an influx of foreign false organic products with the USDA organic label.

How can you help?

These changes are detrimental to both the consumer and the producer. With less support for small and medium organic farms, less fraud prevention, and stalling research, the future is uncertain. Yet, there is still a chance for these programs to be funded in the farm bill. You need to contact your local representative and senator and implore them to include these programs in the farm bill. 

You can also take action by joining organizations like the Organic Farmers Association, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, or the National Organic Coalition. Organic Farmers Association has a great page for you to take action at: https://organicfarmersassociation.org/take-action/