organic agriculture research act - chellie pingree · organic agriculture research act introduced...
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Organic Agriculture Research ActIntroduced by Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME),
Dan Newhouse (R-WA), & Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)
The Potential• Salesoforganicfoodhavedoubledinthelast10
yearstoover$43billionannually• Organicfarmsare35%moreprofitablethanthe
averagefarm• Consumerdemandfororganicproductscontinuesto
grow
The Problem• Demandfororganicfoodexceedsdomesticproduction,a
missedopportunityforfarmers• Thereareseveralorganicresearchgapsinareaslikeweed
control,soilhealth,andfertilitymethods• Researchfundinghasn’tkeptupwithgrowthinorganic
marketandmanyneedsaregoingunmet
A Solution • TheOrganicAgricultureReseachAct(OARA)increases
fundingforUSDA’sflagshiporganicresearchprogram,theOrganicResearchandExtensionInititative,to$50millionannually
• OREIsupportsappliedresearchprojectsthatsolveproblemsandhelpfarmersbecomemoreproductive,efficientandprofitable
• OARAiswidelysupported
ViaOrganicTradeAssocation
Statements of Support for Organic Agriculture Research Act
Laura Batcha, Executive Director and CEO, Organic Trade Association“Robustfundingforagricultureresearchiscriticalfortheadvancementoforganic,andweapplaudCongresswomanPingree,CongressmanNewhouse,andCongressmanPanettafortheireffortstosecureadditionalresourcesforUSDA’sflagshipresearchprogramfororganicagriculture.Thefutureoforganicfarmers’successistiedtodiscoveringneworganiccropvarieties,devel-opingbreakthroughsinpestandweedcontrol,croprotation,andthedevelopmentofeffectiveandcompliantfarminputs.TheOrganicResearchActof2017investsinthefutureoforganicfarmingbyensuringthattheresearchkeepsupwiththeburgeoningindustry.”
(Statementscontinuedonnextpage)
More information available at www.pingree.house.gov/oara
Roger Johnson, President, National Farmers Union“Astheorganicindustrycontinuestogrowatanextraordinarypace,we’veseenalaginsufficientresearchonorganicfarm-ingsystems.Researchonorganicproductionsystemstendstobenefitalloffamilyfarmagriculturebyadvancingcropandseedsystems,aswellasanimalgenotypesandbreeds.Assuch,NFUfullysupportsthisincreaseinfundingfortheOrganicAgricul-tureResearchandExtensionInitiative(OREI)toprovideproducerswiththeresearchandinnovationtheyneedtooptimizetheirfarmingpractices.” Greg Fogel, Policy Director, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition“TheagriculturalresearchsupportedbytheOrganicAgricultureResearchandExtensionInitiativeensuresthatournation’sor-ganicfarmershavetrustworthyandtestedsolutionsfortheissuestheyfaceeverydayinthefield.Astheorganicmarketcontin-uestogrow,Americawillneedtoscaleupbothproductionandresearchinvestmentinordertoensurethatfamilyfarmerscanmeetconsumerdemand.TheNationalSustainableAgricultureCoalitionapplaudsCongressMembersPingree,Newhouse,andPanettafortheirleadershipincallingforamuchneededexpansionofsupportfororganicresearchinthe2018FarmBill.”
Mike Lavender, Senior Washington Representative, Union of Concerned Scientists“TheOrganicResearchExtensionInitiative(OREI)fundssomeofthemosteffectivefederalagriculturalresearch,especiallyaroundecologically-drivenpracticesthathavebeenfoundtobothprotectournaturalresourcesandmaintainfarmerprofits.Farmersofallkinds,andthecommunitiessurroundingthem,benefitfromtheadoptionofagroecologicalpracticesthatboostsoilhealthandprotectourdrinkingwater.It’scriticalthenextfarmbillincreasessupportforOREIandotherprogramsthatapplysci-encetoensurethelong-termviabilityoffarms.WethankRepresentativesPingree,Panetta,&Newhousefortheirleadership.”
Abby Youngblood, Executive Director, National Organic Coalition“ThemembersoftheNationalOrganicCoalitionwholeheartedlyendorsetheOrganicAgricultureResearchAct,andthankCongresswomanPingreeandCongressmenNewhouseandPanettafortheirleadershipinintroducingit.Thisisacriticalpieceoflegislationatacriticaltime.Asconsumerdemandfororganiccontinuestoskyrocket,ourdomesticproductionoforganicfoodandfiberisgrowingatamuchslowerpace,forcingustorelyonmoreimportstomeetthatdemand.Morefundingfororganicresearchisoneofthecriticaltoolsneededtohelpaddressproductionchallengesfacedbyorganicfarmers,sothatwecanbet-termeetdemandwithcropsandproductsgrownhereintheUnitedStates.Theeconomicandenvironmentbenefitsoforganicagriculturearemany,solet’sdowhat’snecessarytokeepthatproductionandthosebenefitshereathome.Arobustcommitmenttoorganicresearchiskeytothatgoal.”
Brise Tencer, Executive Director, Organic Farming Research Foundation “Sinceitsinception,OREIhasdevelopedasubstantialbodyofresearch-basedinformationandtoolstosupportthesuccessoforganicfarmersacrossAmerica.Atatimewhenthedemandfororganicfoodisincreasing,itiscriticalthatwecontinuefundingtheresearchneededtoensurethecontinuedgrowthoftheorganicsector.”
Ted Quaday, Executive Director, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association“Astrongcommitmenttoorganicresearchbenefitsourfarmers,ourhealth,theenvironmentandlocaleconomies.TheMaineOrganicFarmersandGardenersAssociationapplaudsCongresswomanPingreeforleadingtheefforttoanswerthiscrucialagri-culturalneed.”
Jim Gerritsen, Maine organic seed farmer and president of the national farmer-controlled membership organization, Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA)“Fromahistoricalperspective,agriculturalprogresshasbeentheharvestfromsocietalinvestmentinagriculturalresearch.Inorderfororganicfarmingtoprosper,itmustreceiveitsfairshareofresearchfunding.Thisvisionarybillrepresentsamajorstepforwardinsecuringcriticallyneededresearchfundswhichwillinsurethecontinuedgrowthandsuccessoforganicfarming.”
Britt Lundgren, Director of Organic and Sustainable Agriculture, Stonyfield “Researchiscriticalforadvancingtheproductivityandsustainabilityoforganicagriculture,butforfartoolongorganicresearchhasbeenunder-fundedcomparedwiththerestofagriculture.RepresentativePingree’sbillwillensurethatorganicagriculturere-ceivesafairportionoffederalagricultureresearchfunding.ThiswillbetterpositionUSfarmerstotakeadvantageoftherapidlygrowingdemandfororganicfoodandfiber.”
More Statements of Support for Organic Agriculture Research Act
More information available at www.pingree.house.gov/oara
Dr. Jessica Shade, Director of Science Program, The Organic Center“TheOrganicCenteristhrilledtoseetheseriousinvestmentinorganicresearchandapplaudsCongresswomanPingree,Congress-manNewhouse,andCongressmanPanettafortheirefforts.TheOrganicResearchandExtensionInitiative(OREI),organic’spremiercompetitivegrantsresearchprogram,hasspawnedanewcommunityofscientistsandinfrastructurededicatedtoorganicsystemsresearchsinceitwasestablishedin2002.TheOrganicResearchActof2017willsecurelong-terminvestmentinthesci-enceoforganicfarmingessentialforthecontinuedsuccessoffarmers.”
Kristina Hubbard, Director of Advocacy, Organic Seed Alliance“FundingprovidedthroughtheOrganicResearchandExtensionInitiativeisfundamentaltothesuccessoforganicfarmersandthemarketstheyserve.ThereturnonOREIinvestmentsinthewayoforganicplantbreedingandotherorganicseedresearchhasbeenenormous,includingnewplantvarietiesthatperformespeciallywellinorganicproductionsystems.Organicfarmersproducefooddifferently,andthatmeanstheyneeddifferentseedforthecropstheygrow–seeddevelopedtothrivewithoutsyntheticfertilizersandpesticides,andadaptedtotheirlocalclimateandsoilconditions.WeapplaudCongresswomanPingreeforherleadershipinlegislativeactionthataimstoexpandsupportforthefastestgrowingsectorofourfoodindustry.Thepotentialtogrowtheorganicindustryforthebenefitoffarmers,ruralcommunities,andthecommunitiestheyfeedisnothingshortofremarkable,butthatgrowthrequiresanincreasedinvestmentinresearch.”
Chris Schreiner, Executive Director, Oregon Tilth“Werecentlysurveyedover600farmerstransitioningtoorganicacrosstheUnitedStates.Theyidentifiedweedmanagementasamajorobstacleandrankedinformationonweed,pest,anddiseasemanagementasthetopresourceneededduringtransition.Pub-licinvestmentinresearchingorganicpracticescanfillthisknowledgegapandhelpfarmersovercomeobstacles.”
Harriet Behar, Senior Organic Specialist, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service“TheMidwestOrganicandSustainableEducationService(MOSES)interactswiththousandsoforganicandnonorganicfarmerseveryyearthrougheducationaleventsandpublications.Wehearfromtheseconstituentsthattheyneedmoreresearchintolowinputfarmingmethodstobuildlongtermresiliencyforboththeirfarm’sproductioncapabilitiesandtheireconomicbottomline.Organicagriculturalresearchoffersnumerousbenefitstothenation’sfarmingcommunityaswellasconsumersbyprovidingenvi-ronmentallybeneficialsolutionstoproductionchallengeswhichresultinabundant,domesticallyproduced,healthyfoods.”
Marty Mesh, Executive Director, Florida Organic Growers“FloridaCertifiedOrganicGrowersandConsumers,Inc(FOG)firmlybacksanincreaseinsupportforappliedresearchthatwill,firstandforemost,developpracticalsolutionsandtoolsfortheburgeoningorganicagriculturesectorintheU.S.WebelievethisbillwillbenefitexistingorganicfarmersinFlorida,thosegrowinginothersubtropicalandtropicalclimatesalongtheGulfCoast,andalsoasignificantnumberofgrowerswhoindicateadesiretotransitiontoorganicpracticesbutdemandmoreresearchinordertodoso.Whatwealsoapplaudinthisbillistheexpectedbenefitsforgrowersofallsizes,fromsmall,independentfarm-erstomorelarge-scaleenterprisesthatareequallydedicatedtoourvisionforanorganicagriculturesectorthat’sdata-drivenandresearch-based.”
Organic Valley | CROPP Cooperative“OrganicValleystronglysupportsthisbillwhichfocusesresourcesonorganicagricultureresearch.Inworkingwith2,000farm-ersacrossthecountry,fromMainetoWashington,wecantestifytotheuniqueproductionchallengefarmersface,beitthetypeofcropsandlivestocktheyraiseorvariabilityseenacrossregions.Thededicatedresourcesinthebillcanhelpfarmerstacklethosechallengesandbecomemoreefficient,boostingon-farmproductivityandcreatingeconomicprogressandstability-thatisgoodfororganicfarmers,goodforruralcommunitiesandgoodforournation.”
More Statements of Support for Organic Agriculture Research Act
More information available at www.pingree.house.gov/oara