NOC Zooms in for Virtual Fly-in
This week, during the National Organic Coalition fly-in, forty organic advocates - organic farmers, scientists, policy advocates, and representatives from organic companies - from across the nation will meet with dozens of Congressional offices to urge action on climate change, advancing racial equity in organic agriculture, and unfinished organic regulations.
The priorities advanced by NOC have been vetted across the fourteen member organizations and companies that contribute to the creation of NOC’s policy positions and strategy through a consensus decision-making process.
“The organic community is thrilled to see Congress and USDA prioritize carbon sequestration and focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture,” said Scott Myers, Owner/Manager of Woodlyn Acres Farm in Dalton, Ohio and 2021 fly-in participant (Woodlyn Acres is also a member of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association). “Soil is the foundation of organic agriculture. Organic regulations require farmers to use soil building practices, like cover cropping, careful tillage, and crop rotations, which help to sequester carbon. Organic agriculture should be front and center in any discussion about policies to incentivize climate-friendly farming.”
Fly-in participants will be asking members of Congress to co-sponsor two key pieces of legislation, the Agriculture Resilience Act and the Climate Stewardship Act, which are expected to be reintroduced in Congress this year. NOC is also advocating for policies that recognize the role of organic agriculture in combatting climate change, and create incentives for more producers to transition to organic farming.
NOC has endorsed the Justice for Black Farmers Act and is urging members of Congress to co-sponsor this legislation. The bill will begin tackling a legacy of discrimination, addresses the needs of Black farmers, and implements systemic reforms to help family farmers across the United States.
NOC members will also be asking Congress to weigh in with the USDA Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, about top-priority unfinished organic regulations.
“Consistent enforcement of organic rules is vital,” said Aimee Simpson, Director of Advocacy & Product Sustainability at PCC Community Markets, the nation’s largest community-owned food co-op, based in Seattle, WA. “Organic consumers need assurance that the products they purchase with the USDA organic seal are in fact produced using the strict practices required by the organic regulations to protect the environment and human health.”
NOC is pushing for finalization of the ‘Strengthening Organic Enforcement’ rule to crack down on fraud in organic supply chains and the ‘Origin of Livestock’ rule to protect the viability of organic dairy producers and ensure consistency in how conventional livestock are transitioned into organic dairy herds.
NOC has also called on USDA to reinstate the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices Rule, which was finalized in 2017 during the Obama administration, but withdrawn by the Trump administration. The rule would have required all organic poultry and egg operations to provide meaningful outdoor access for chickens and clarifies standards for livestock living conditions and animal healthcare in organic.
Follow NOC on social media (Facebook @NationalOrganicCoalition and Twitter @NationalOrganic) for live updates on Congressional meetings.