Welcoming Jelana Ortiz: Advancing the Future of Organic Agriculture
Jelana Ortiz, Spring 2026 National Organic Action Plan Intern
The National Organic Coalition is pleased to welcome Jelana Ortiz as our Spring 2026 National Organic Action Plan (NOAP) Intern.
Jelana brings a strong academic and practical background in sustainable agriculture, soil health, and water use. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Environmental Management at Université Lumière Lyon 2, where her work focuses on agricultural systems in water-constrained environments. Her interest in food systems began during her undergraduate studies in Sociology at Arizona State University and has since been shaped by hands-on experience across Arizona, Morocco, Mexico, and France. From evaluating soil health at a 19-acre urban farm in Phoenix to contributing to watershed-scale environmental monitoring with Friends of the Verde River, Jelana has developed a grounded and globally informed perspective on agriculture and environmental stewardship.
At NOC, Jelana is supporting an assessment of the National Organic Action Plan, a framework published in 2010 and developed through a multi-year, nationwide effort to chart a long-term strategy for organic agriculture in the United States.
Through her internship, Jelana is:
analyzing progress made since the NOAP’s publication,
identifying where meaningful advances have occurred,
and exploring where gaps remain.
Her work includes research, interviews with leaders across the organic community, and comparative analysis of organic action planning efforts in other countries. The goal of this work is to generate practical insights that can help strengthen organic policy, support farmer transition and retention, and inform the next phase of coordinated action for the sector.
We are excited to have Jelana contributing to this work and look forward to sharing insights from her research in the months ahead.