Greenfield, Massachussets
May 5, 2009
The
Organic Trade Association (OTA) today expressed delight that
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering $50
million in new funding to encourage greater production of
organic food in the United States.
A portion of the funding has been allocated for every state and
is available exclusively through a special signup under the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program, administered by USDA's
Natural Resources Conservation Service. To qualify, a producer
must be certified through the National Organic Program or be in
the process of transitioning to organic production.
"The Organic Trade Association is pleased to see this support
and recognition from USDA that organic farming practices
represent positive environmental practices. OTA believes that
this funding will further encourage farmers to use such
practices and help increase the U.S. production of organic food
to meet growing consumer demand," said Christine Bushway, OTA's
Executive Director.
Under the initiative, new contracts for organic production are
being offered for six core practices, which include conservation
crop rotation, cover crops, nutrient management, pest
management, prescribed grazing, and forage harvest management.
Funding is capped at $20,000 per year. The sign-up period for
the special organic contracts begins May 11 and ends on May 29.
Earlier today, Kathleen Merrigan, USDA's Deputy Secretary of
Agriculture, announced to the National Organic Standards Board
that USDA intends to create a division within the agency that is
dedicated to organic agriculture. Currently, the National
Organic Program is part of the Transportation and Marketing
Program within USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service.
Barbara Robinson, Deputy Administrator of Transportation and
Marketing, had told attendees at OTA's Policy Conference in late
March that she believes the National Organic Program is now
ready to stand on its two legs.
"OTA is also very pleased to here this news, and will eagerly
await further word on how this will take place," Bushway said.
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based
business association for organic agriculture and products in
North America. Its 1,600 members include growers, shippers,
processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors,
importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA's
mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to
benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy (www.ota.com).
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