ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Representative to Support Organic Agriculture
New Deadline = April 23
Background
Many important organic programs are funded through annual spending legislation, including the USDA National Organic Program, research programs, and organic data collection. Congress is currently working on appropriations legislation for Fiscal Year 2022. House Organic Caucus leaders have drafted a letter to request funding for organic programs.
We need your help to secure a boost in funding for the National Organic Program and other programs to strengthen organic enforcement, crack down on fraud, boost organic research, and expand organic data collection! The House Organic Caucus is also requesting funding to fix the organic certification cost share program shortfall – funding for this program was slashed in 2020.
TAKE ACTION TODAY!
Ask you Representative to join Representatives DeFazio (D-OR), Kind (D-WI), and Davis (R-IL) in signing a letter requesting funding for organic. Use the sample email below.
The deadline for Representatives to sign the House Organic Caucus letter is now April 23.
Let us know if you need the name and email of the ag staffer for your Representative’s office. If your Rep is one of the leads on this letter (Reps. DeFazio, Kind, and Davis) send a thank you email.
Email your Representative TODAY with this request.
Please customize your letter to introduce yourself and your support for organic.
Dear xxx,
I am writing as a constituent to ask Representative xxx to join House Organic Caucus Co-Chairs Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Rodney Davis (R-IL), and Ron Kind (D-WI) in calling for strong investment in organic agriculture in the FY2022 Agricultural appropriations bill by signing onto their Dear Colleague letter. The deadline to sign on is April 23. To sign on, Click Here.
Organic is one of the fastest growing sectors in U.S. agriculture. According to USDA, organic farms have grown by 39 percent in the last five years, yet funds for organic programs make up less than one percent of the USDA budget. Funding these programs is a minimal and highly cost-effective investment that will support over 28,000 family farms and businesses.
The letter includes the following important requests:
· National Organic Program (NOP) – Fund at authorized level of $22 million. NOP develops and enforces the national organic program standards, accredits certifiers, and arranges international equivalency agreements. More resources are needed to perform these functions effectively.
· Organic Certification Cost-Share Program (OCCSP)- $12 million. The National Organic Certification Cost Share program is important to attracting new, young farmers to organic. This program is typically funded through mandatory farm bill spending, but last year USDA announced that reimbursement rates for certification costs would be cut. This additional funding will ensure that organic farms and businesses can continue to count on this long-standing program to help offset their certification costs.
· Organic Transitions Research Program (ORG) - $10 million. This program funds research that organic farmers need to improve and increase production and to address challenges related to pests, diseases, and climate change.
In conclusion, I strongly support organic agriculture and the myriad of benefits it provides to the economy and to the country as a whole. I hope that you will join me and the Co-Chairs of the House Organic Caucus in supporting appropriate levels of funding for these vital organic programs.
To sign the letter, please fill out this form. Should you have any questions, please contact Hazel Tylinski (hazel.tylinski@mail.house.gov) with Rep. DeFazio, Janie Costa (janie.costa@mail.house.gov) with Rep. Davis, or Ben Hutterer (ben.hutterer@mail.house.gov) with Rep. Kind.
Sincerely,
Your name, title, and organization/farm
Your town and state (to demonstrate that you are a constituent)