Annual Appropriations Bills Determine Funding for Key Organic Programs
Each year, the discretionary spending portion of the federal budget must go through the appropriations process in Congress. Appropriations bills provide spending for the agencies and programs previously authorized by Congress. Many organic and other agriculture programs are funded through this process, including funding for USDA’s National Organic Program and the Organic Transitions Program (a research program at USDA).
For more than two decades, NOC has advocated for funding increases and policy changes to advance organic agriculture through annual appropriations legislation. Recent National Organic Coalition appropriations advocacy wins include:
Doubling USDA National Organic Program (NOP) funding since 2018. The NOP enforces organic regulations and oversees more than 46,000 operations in over 100 countries. This boost in funding has allowed the NOP to increase staffing to more effectively combat fraud in organic supply chains and make much needed updates to the organic regulations.
Strengthening enforcement of organic regulations. Through annual appropriations legislation, Congress has directed USDA to protect soil-health on organic farms, and to ensure outdoor access, grazing, and biodiversity protection on organic livestock operations.
Creation of USDA program to provide emergency relief to organic dairy producers. NOC asked Congress to address an organic dairy crisis caused by severe drought conditions, supply chain backlogs, and a surge in organic feed prices. In 2023, USDA created the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP) in response to the crisis.
Congress is currently negotiating annual appropriations legislation for Fiscal Year 2025. Both the House and Senate must pass, and the President must sign, new funding legislation, or a ‘Continuing Resolution’ that would allow government agencies to continue operating at current funding levels, by September 30, 2024.
NOC has outlined our priorities for organic agriculture in Fiscal Year 2025 here. We have given testimony and have been advocating for months with Members of Congress to include these priorities in their spending legislation. In the past several years, we have seen significant boosts in funding for organic programs, but House leaders are now hoping to make massive cuts through the appropriations process. NOC is asking our partners to help us advocate for essential funding for core organic programs in this challenging fiscal environment.