January 12, 2011
I imagine that you and your staff, like those of us at the Organic Trade Association, are already barreling full force into 2011. Before we get too far into the New Year however, I’d like to share with you the successes of OTA’s 2010 U.S. legislative agenda. Let’s take a brief moment to celebrate our organic “wins” when we can!
There was a flurry of Congressional activity late into December, and the “lame duck” session resulted in completion of several key bills that OTA had worked on throughout the 111th Congress. In all the legislation, OTA focused on creating opportunities and preventing barriers for organic, so that the organic industry continues to grow.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Child Nutrition Reauthorization included the Organic Pilot Program, which authorizes $10 million for competitive grants for schools to increase organic offerings in their meal programs. Because the Organic Pilot Program is not mandatory, the Appropriations Committee will decide on funding for the program. In addition to the Organic Pilot Program, the bill includes a $40 million Farm-to-School Program that OTA also supported. This mandatory funding will provide a robust competitive grant and technical assistance program in the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase the use of local foods from small- and medium-sized farms in schools. The final bill also provides the first increase in meal reimbursement rates, other than that based on inflation, since the 1970s, and streamlines enrollment in school meal programs.
The new FDA Food Safety Modernization Act included OTA provisions that prevent any regulations that would force organic operations to use prohibited materials or practices, such as irradiation, as identified by the National Organic Program. Other provisions OTA supported in the Food Safety bill were technical assistance for operations that will be subject to the new law and an amendment to the traceability and record-keeping section of the bill to allow for food directly marketed from farmers to consumers or to grocery stores and food labeled with the identity of the farm which produced it. That amendment also prevents FDA from requiring any farm to keep records beyond the first point of sale when the product leaves the farm, except when farms co-mingle product from multiple farms.
OTA met with multiple offices in the House and Senate to encourage higher funding levels for organic programs. Because of these efforts and the work of OTA members during the 2010 Policy Conference, we successfully passed increased appropriations levels in the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations Committee. However, Congress failed to pass new appropriations bills for FY 2011 so all programs—including organic programs-- are operating on extensions from previous appropriations. Before adjourning, Congress passed another extension to fund programs through March 4, 2011.
While the end of the year brought results in rapid succession, it was the fruit of countless hours of labor by OTA member task forces, OTA’s Washington D.C. office and policy staff, and industry grassroots advocacy. Thank you for your support that makes it all possible.
I hope we can rely on both your active participation as well as financial support going forward so that our work in 2011 can see equally strong legislative yields for our organic industry. If you haven’t already done so, please make a pledge today to OTA’s 2011 Annual Fund.
Your for organic,
Christine Bushway
Executive Director / CEO
Organic Trade Association
802-275-3833
703-922-4161 (DC office)
|
