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Steve Etka with the National Organic Coalition provides input during the listening session. The session gave USDA the opportunity to hear from stakeholders about their priorities during the implementation process and the impact that the new provisions will have on their communities.

Farm Bill Listening Session: New and Expanding Opportunities for the Organic Industry

Organic agriculture serves as an engine for rural development, representing a $35 billion industry in the United States alone. USDA is committed to protecting the integrity of organic products, and ensuring that all of our agencies work together to help the organic sector continue to grow.

Members of the organic community are important partners in these efforts. As Administrator of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), which includes the National Organic Program, I have had the privilege of getting to know our organic stakeholders – visiting their farms and talking to them about their priorities – and I have been very impressed. Thanks to the recently passed Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill), USDA is now even better equipped to support the success of organic operations.

Anne L. Alonzo, Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator Posted in Food and Nutrition

Apr 18, 2014

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Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan addresses stakeholders and members of the public during the USDA Activities and Priorities Related to Organic Agriculture and Markets Public Listening Session held at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in Washington DC, Tuesday, September 20, 2011. The purpose of the event was to gain the perspective of stakeholders and members of the public, important tools to help USDA Programs examine and prioritize their activities and objectives in order to best serve the

Listening Session Gives the Floor to Organic Community

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) was all ears on Tuesday as it opened up its hall to organic stakeholders to ask the question, “What activities should the Department focus on to serve the organic community?”

Many took the opportunity to respond. During a day-long listening session hosted by USDA, organic stakeholders shared their thoughts, concerns, praises, and requests with the department that administers the organic certification program and enforces the country’s organic standards.

The USDA’s National Organic Program, part of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), currently serves a $29 billion industry on a budget of less than $7 million—and the industry continues to grow amidst challenging economic conditions. In support of that growth, USDA has a goal to increase the number of certified organic operations to over 20,000 by 2015--that’s a 20 percent growth from 2009.

Miles McEvoy, Director of National Organic Program Posted in Conservation

Sep 21, 2011

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