NOC Farm Bill Recommendations

The Farm Bill is an important policy tool to build a more resilient food and farming system.

The Farm Bill is the primary agriculture and food policy legislation of the federal government.  This omnibus bill is negotiated approximately every five years and deals with agriculture, food assistance programs, and other aspects under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including many organic programs.

In the 2018 Farm Bill, the National Organic Coalition (NOC) and our allies achieved major wins for organic including:

  1. a historic boost in funding for organic research,

  2. the passage of provisions to enhance enforcement and prevent fraud in organic supply chains, and

  3. reauthorization of the organic certification cost share program, which provides a partial reimbursement for certification costs and is especially important for smaller operations and underserved producers.

In the 2023 Farm Bill, NOC seeks to significantly increase support for current organic producers and those seeking to transition to organic, and to advance organic integrity.

Some of our topline priorities include:

  1. GROWING ORGANIC FOOD SYSTEMS
    Offering a suite of flexible, easy-to-access tools to support organic farmers

  2. STRENGTHENING ORGANIC INTEGRITY
    Ensuring continuous improvement of USDA Organic Standards

  3. EXPANDING ORGANIC RESEARCH
    Increasing tools to address production, marketing, and environmental challenges

  4. STRENGTHENING USDA CONSERVATION PROGRAMS FOR ORGANIC FARMERS
    Recognizing organic farming as climate-smart and environmentally sound

Read more about these top level recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill here.

Given the cross-cutting benefits of organic agriculture throughout our food and fiber system, NOC will be making recommendations in other titles of the Farm Bill, including the commodity, nutrition, energy, and crop insurance titles.

NOC recognizes that access to the organic certification has not been equal across all communities and groups. NOC is committed to listen and amplify the work of frontline organizations that advocate for policy initiatives that advance racial equity and justice, including increasing access to land, capital, and technical assistance for Black, Indigenous, and other farmers of color, and underfunded, underrepresented or historically excluded communities.

Stay tuned for NOC’s full farm bill platform, including detailed recommendations by Farm Bill title.

Alice Runde