Revised: 11/10/2016 – subject to change

i

National Organic Standards Board Meeting Tentative Agenda

Chase Park Plaza Hotel, St. Louis, MO Lindell Ballroom

November 16 - 18, 2016

Schedule at a Glance:

Thursday

Nov 3

Wednesday 

Nov 16

Thursday

Nov 17

Friday

Nov 18

MORNING

- Call to Order/Welcome/ 

 Intros/Secretary’s report 

- NOP report 

- NOP Peer review report

- NOSB Report 

- Materials update 

- Public comments 

- Public comments 

 continued 

- NOSB Discussion of 

 Suggested NOP 

 Priorities for FY 2017

- Crops 

 Subcommittee 

- Presentation: State of the 

 organic seed report

- Policy Development

 Subcommittee 

- Livestock 

 Subcommittee

AFTERNOON

Public 

comment 

webinar

1 – 4pm ET

- Public comments 

 continued

- Group photo

- CACS

- Handling 

 Subcommittee 

- Materials 

 Subcommittee

 

- Deferred proposals/Final 

 votes 

- Work agendas 

- NOSB Officer elections

- Farewell to outgoing 

 members 

- Other business/Closing 

 remarks 

Face-to-Face Meeting Format

• The Designated Federal Officer calls the meeting to order and adjourns the meeting. The NOSB Chair chairs the 

meeting. 

• The USDA and National Organic Program (NOP) provide the NOSB with updates, and an overview of petitioned 

substances, sunset materials, and technical reports. 

• The Board hears public comments, which are grouped by topic when possible, to facilitate review. 

• NOSB members present Subcommittee proposals, reports and discussion documents, and discuss public comment, 

prior to voting on proposals. Final votes may be deferred to the last day of the meeting if more deliberation is 

needed. NOTE: Agenda items may be withdrawn or votes postponed at the discretion of the Board.

• There will be two 15-minute breaks (mid-morning & mid-afternoon) and a 75-minute lunch break mid-day.

Public Comments (Written and Oral) 

• All persons are encouraged to provide written comments via Regulations.gov.

• All persons wishing to provide oral comments are asked to sign up in advance. Instructions are available at 

www.ams.usda.gov/NOSBMeetings. There are two (2) opportunities to provide oral comments to the Board: One

webinar and one face-to-face meeting. Walk-in comment slots may become available on a first come-first served 

basis at the meeting, if the schedule allows.

• Each person may sign up for only one speaking slot. Commenters will be allowed either a 3-minute time slot during 

the webinar, or a 3-minute time slot at the face-to-face meeting. Each commenter must state his/her name and 

affiliation for the record at the beginning of their comment.
 Revised: 11/10/2016 – subject to change

ii

THURSDAY

NOV 3

1:00 - 4:30

PM ET

Public comment webinar

Please see the NOSB meeting webpage for login information and instructions 

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER

1

6, 201

6

9:00 AM Call to order, Agenda overview

Miles McEvoy, AMS Deputy Administrator

Introductions

NOSB members and NOP staff

Secretary’s report, acceptance of April 2016 Meeting Summary as official record

Lisa de Lima, Secretary

9:15 AM USDA National Organic Program report

Miles McEvoy, Deputy Administrator, AMS National Organic Program (NOP)

10:15 AM NOP peer review report

10:45 AM NOSB report 

Tracy Favre, NOSB Chairperson

11:00 AM National Organic Program - Materials update/Summary of new and outstanding 

petitions

Dr. Lisa M. Brines, NOP National List Manager 

11:15 AM BREAK (15 min)

11:30 AM -

6:00 PM

Public comments 

12:45 PM -

2:00 PM

LUNCH

~4:00 PM BREAK 

6:00 PM RECESS/GROUP PHOTO
 Revised: 11/10/2016 – subject to change

iii

THURSDAY NOVEMBER

1

7, 2016

 8:30 AM - 

 2:20 PM

Break ~10:15, 

Lunch ~12:30

Public comments

(15 min break @ ~10:15, 60 minute lunch at ~12:30

2:20 PM NOSB discussion of suggested NOP priorities for fiscal year 2017

2:30 PM Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification Subcommittee (CACS) 

Carmela Beck, Chairperson

Topics:

 Discussion document: Personnel performance evaluations of inspectors (NOP 2027) 

 Verbal Update: Eliminating the incentive to convert native ecosystems into organic 

 crop production

2:45 PM -

5:45 PM

15 min break 

@ ~ 3:30

Handling Subcommittee (HS) 

Harold Austin, Chairperson

Topics:

2018 Sunset Substances:

Agar-agar

Animal enzymes

Calcium sulfate-mined

Carrageenan

Glucono delta-lactone

Tartaric acid

Cellulose

Potassium hydroxide

Silicon dioxide

Colors: Beta-carotene extract 

Proposal: Sodium chlorite for the generation of chlorine dioxide gas - petitioned

Proposal: Oat protein concentrate - petitioned

Proposal: Tocopherols - additional listing 

Proposal: Tocopherols - annotation change 

Discussion document: Cumulative impact of phosphates in organic processed foods

Discussion document: Marine algae listings on National List

Update: Xanthan gum reclassification

Subcommittee discusses proposals as needed

Board votes if ready

5:45 PM Materials Subcommittee

Lisa de Lima, Chairperson

Topics: 

 Proposal: Fall 2016 Research Priorities 

 Proposal: Excluded methods terminology

 Discussion document: Excluded methods terminology

 Report to the USDA Secretary on progress to prevent GMO incursion into organic

 

Subcommittee discusses proposals as needed

Board votes if ready

7:00 PM RECESS
 Revised: 11/10/2016 – subject to change

iv

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2016

8:30 AM -

12:30 PM

15 min break 

@ ~ 10:30

30 min 

presentation 

after break

(see 10:45 

below)

Crops Subcommittee 

Zea Sonnabend, Chairperson

Topics:

2018 Sunset Substances:

Copper sulfate 

Ozone gas

Peracetic acid

EPA List 3 - Inerts of unknown toxicity

Calcium chloride

 Discussion document: Strengthen and clarify the requirements for use of organic seed 

(NOP 5029)

Proposal: Aluminum sulfate - petitioned

Proposal: Soy wax - petitioned

Proposal: 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) - petitioned

Proposal: Ammonium citrate - petitioned

Proposal: Ammonium glycinate - petitioned

Proposal: Potassium cellulose glycolate - petitioned

Proposal: Hydroponics (Bioponics)

Discussion document: Container and greenhouse production - further clarifications

Subcommittee discusses proposals as needed

Board votes if ready

~10:45 AM Presentation: State of the organic seed report

Kristina Hubbard, Director of advocacy and communications, Organic Seed Alliance

12:30 PM LUNCH

1:45 PM Policy Development Subcommittee

Tom Chapman, Chairperson

Topics: 

 Proposal: Policy and procedure manual (PPM) revisions

 Proposal: Sunset Review - Efficient work load reorganization

Subcommittee discusses proposals as needed

Board votes if ready

2:15 PM Livestock Subcommittee 

Ashley Swaffar, Chairperson

Topics:

Proposal: Ivermectin removal - petitioned

Proposal: Aluminum sulfate - petitioned

Proposal: Sodium bisulfate - petitioned

Proposal: Acid-activated bentonite - petitioned

Subcommittee discusses proposals as needed

Board votes if ready
 Revised: 11/10/2016 – subject to change

v

3:15 PM Deferred proposals/Final votes 

4:00 PM BREAK

4:15 PM Subcommittee work agendas 

4:30 PM NOSB Officer elections

4:45 PM Farewell to outgoing members

5:15 PM Other business and closing remarks

5:30 PM ADJOURN