Organic Farmers & Advocates Convene in Atlanta

On Monday, April 24, over 60 members of the organic community - including farmers, members of the National Organic Standards Board, staff from advocacy organizations, USDA officials, certification agencies, researchers and university professors - gathered in Atlanta in advance of the Spring National Organic Standards Board Meeting.

The day-long ‘Pre-NOSB’ Meeting included a fantastic farmer panel focused on helping more Southeast farmers go organic. The farmer panelists discussed some of the barriers and challenges with organic certification, the need for processing and marketing infrastructure, consumer education, and geographically specific & relevant support. Thank you to the farmer panelists for taking time out of their incredibly busy schedules to share their experience and thoughts with us.

The meeting also included a panel on the Strengthening Organic Enforcement Rule and a Q&A with Dr. Jennifer Tucker, Deputy Administrator for the National Organic Program (NOP). National Organic Coalition staff and organic community members asked Dr. Tucker about the status of the pending Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards rule, NOSB recommendations that have not been acted upon by the NOP, USDA’s new Organic Transition Initiative, enforcement of organic soil health standards, and more.

As part of the events in Atlanta, the National Organic Coalition also convened a half-day meeting for organizations taking part in the Transition to Organic Partnership Program to share early successes and discuss the needs of underserved producers in the Southeast region. The TOPP meeting also provided an opportunity to deepen collaboration across regions, with national partners, and with the USDA to strengthen support for organic and transitioning producers through TOPP.

Resources & Information from the meeting are available here.