NOC Asks USDA to Create a More Inclusive Organic Program

NOC believes everyone benefits when we create a more diverse and inclusive USDA National Organic Program. We will best achieve our goals for a healthier, more sustainable food system if the human health, environmental, and economic benefits of organic agriculture accrue to all communities, especially to communities of color and underserved farmers who are impacted by poorer health outcomes and disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards and pollution due to systemic racism.

On July 15, NOC submitted comments to USDA on advancing racial justice and equity and support for underserved communities through USDA programs and policies. NOC focused on opportunities to address barriers that Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and other underserved farmers face in accessing organic certification through the USDA National Organic Program.

One of our key asks was to provide more time for organizations and individuals to respond to this request for comments. USDA responded to that request from NOC and other groups by extending the comment deadline from July 15 to August 14. 

Organizations and individuals can still submit comments!

The deadline for submitting comments has been extended to: Saturday, August 14, 11:59 pm EST. 

How to Comment

  1. Open the Federal Register Comment Page for the Identifying Barriers in USDA Programs and Services Comment

  2. Open the “Submit a Formal Comment” box and type the comment you want to submit

  3. You do not have to provide your name if you do not want to, though it is preferable

  4. Submit the Comment by clicking “continue”

NOC Policy Recommendations

NOC has identified access to land, resources, and technical assistance as some of the main barriers to organic certification for Black, Indigenous, and other farmers of color (BIPOC farmers). NOC is asking USDA to address these barriers by:

  1. Appointing a USDA-led “land commission” to conduct a periodic national-scale land tenure study to provide a holistic perspective on socio-economic, political, and market-based factors limiting BIPOC access to land.

  2. Creating a federal land-link program to connect retiring organic landowners with young or beginning farmers who are seeking organic land but cannot afford it.

  3. Increasing the reimbursement rate for the organic certification cost share program. USDA should also streamline and simplify the reimbursement process. This program is particularly important to small-to-mid-sized organic farms, underserved farmers, and those who are just starting out with organic certification. 

  4. Creating a new Organic Stewardship Program within the Natural Resources Conservation Service to reward organic farmers for their use of climate-friendly farming practices.

  5. Changing processes to establish a more diverse and inclusive National Organic Standards Board.

  6. Establishing a Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship Program for farmers transitioning to organic, with priority given to organizations and programs that provide mentorship to BIPOC farmers and historically underserved producers. 

  7. Providing training about systemic racism for USDA staff, and facilitating the efforts already initiated by organic community members to provide training and professional development to organic professionals given the public-private partnership that is at the foundation of the organic program.

  8. Allowing producers to be served by a USDA service center that has trained staff who can best serve the needs of organic and BIPOC producers, including staff who can provide services to producers in other languages, even if that service center is not the closest office.

  9. Collecting and tracking participation in organic through the National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) Census of Agriculture. According to the data published in 2019, fewer than 1% of organic farmers identified as Black or African American, and 0.5% identified as American Indian or Alaska Native.

  10. Increasing procurement of organic products in the National School Lunch program, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).

NOC’s full comments are available online here

(or copy and paste this url https://app.box.com/s/oujah67ktfjtluq9zht895c7g7ek53sr)

NOC is committed to advancing racial justice and equity in the food and agricultural sector and we welcome feedback on these recommendations.

Lea Kone