An Overview of NOC's 2023 Racial Equity Work

Creating an equitable food system is a core value for NOC and the organic community. 

  • Diversity is a central tenet of organic: In the same way that biological diversity is foundational to the healthy agricultural systems we support, we recognize that diversity of people makes the organic movement healthier and more sustainable.

  • Systemic racism has disenfranchised Black & Brown Farmers: Access to the organic movements and to organic certification has not been equal across racial groups: systematic racism has kept our movement from reaching its full potential. Only 3% of organic farmers identify as "Black, Indigenous, LatinX, Asian American or Pacific Islanders.

  • Acknowledging Indigenous knowledge: Black & brown farmers have been, and continue to be, foundational to every aspect of the organic movement. Our movement has historically mostly elevated the voices of white (male) farmers as pioneers/fathers of the organic movement.

  • Collective liberation: Farmer Focus Group & NORA report has showed that a lot of the challenges faced by BIPOC farmers were faced by many small-scale white farmers. Addressing these challenges would help all farmers.


In this blog post, we outline some of the work NOC has done in 2023 towards centering racial equity in our organization and movement.

  • Resource building: NOC aggregates and maintains a list of resources relevant to racial equity in organic: https://www.nationalorganiccoalition.org/racial-equity 

  • Comments to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB): Since 2020, NOC has submitted comments to the NOSB relating to racial equity in organic, and more specifically about the barriers to organic certification for BIPOC farmers. We are grateful that some NOSB members are championing this work at the board level.

  • Internal learning and capacity building: in 2023, NOC held monthly racial equity committee meetings for member organizations, with topics ranging from reviewing frontline organizations’ farm bill priorities, NOSB comments, and topic-specific issues: labor issues in organic, heirs property, land access. In the fall of 2023, NOC started participating in an Equity Learning Cohort facilitated by Up With Community, with the goal of having actionable next steps for our journey for equity and racial justice in your work, and strong relationships with several other organizations working on their own next steps.

  • Policy work: NOC follows the leadership of BIPOC-led and serving organizations in the sustainable food & agriculture sector, elevating policies and platforms when appropriate. In 2023, NOC endorsed the Justice for Black Farmers Act, and the  Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities (LASO) Act.

  • Event participation: In 2023, NOC provided scholarships to 15 farmers to attend the spring NOSB meeting, fall NOSB meeting, and Fly-In. We ensure that farmer panels include a diversity of representation, and that all our meeting agenda items include a racial equity lens.

  • Coalition work: NOC understands that system change cannot happen in a vacuum, and is a part of a group of partners working to advance racial equity in the USDA National Organic Program certification and inspection process. This group is committed to creating an organic community that prioritizes racial equity and does the necessary work to reduce barriers that prevent Black, Indigenous, Latine, and other BIPOC farmers and farm workers from participating in this program in the ways that they choose. Learn more here.

Learn more: https://www.nationalorganiccoalition.org/racial-equity 

Alice Runde