Revised: 8/21/2020 – subject to change

National Organic Standards Board Meeting Agenda TENTATIVE

Virtual via Zoom. All times Eastern.

Schedule at a Glance:

TUE OCT 20

& 

THU OCT 22

WEDNESDAY

OCT 28

THURSDAY

OCT 29

FRIDAY 

OCT 30

AFTERNOON

- Public 

comment 

webinar(s)

- Call to Order

- Agenda Overview

- Introductions 

- Secretary’s report

- NOSB report

- USDA/NOP update

- Livestock 

 Subcommittee (LS)

- Policy Development 

 Subcommittee (PDS)

- Compliance, 

 Accreditation, & 

 Certification 

 Subcommittee (CACS)

- Handling 

 Subcommittee (HS)

- Materials 

 Subcommittee (MS)

- Crops Subcommittee (CS)

- Work agendas/

 Materials update

- NOSB Officer elections

- Farewell to outgoing 

 members

- Other business/Closing 

 remarks

Virtual Meeting Format

• NOTE: Members of the public will be able to see informational slides and hear the live discussion by board 

members. 

• Please be aware that the meeting may run ahead or behind schedule. 

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

• The NOSB Chair presides over the meeting. 

• 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 end of the meeting if more deliberation is needed. 

NOTE: Agenda items may be withdrawn, or votes postponed at the discretion of the Board.

Public Comments (Written and Oral) 

• Written Comments: Written comments may be viewed at Regulations.gov.

• Oral Comments: Two oral comment webinars scheduled for October 20 and 22, 2020. 

The 30-day registration period to sign up for oral comments will close October 1, 2020. 

• The public is welcome to listen to the comment webinars. Please see the NOSB meeting webpage for login 

instructions for each session, to be posted before each meeting.

• Each person registered to make public comments is allocated three minutes, as in past years, to allow time for as 

many speakers as possible. Each commenter will be asked to state their name and affiliation for the record at the 

beginning of their comment.
 

 Revised: 8/21/2020 – subject to change TUE/THU

OCT

2

0 & 

2

2

NOON - 5:00 

PM ET

(w/breaks)

Public comment webinars

Please see the NOSB meeting webpage for more information and links to join the Zoom 

meeting

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 28, 2020 

12:00 PM ET NOSB Meeting Day 1

Please see the NOSB meeting webpage for more information and links to join the Zoom

meeting

Call to Order, Agenda Overview, Introductions

NOSB Members and NOP Deputy Administrator

Secretary’s report (acceptance of Spring 2020 meeting summary as official record)

Jesse Buie, Secretary

NOSB report 

Steve Ela, NOSB Chairperson

12:30 PM National Organic Program Update | Guest speaker from Customs and Border Protection

2:00 PM LUNCH Offline (60m)

3:00 PM Livestock Subcommittee (LS)

Sue Baird, Chairperson

Topics:

 Proposal: Fenbendazole - petitioned 

 2022 Sunset substances reviews:

 Butorphanol 

Flunixin 

Magnesium hydroxide 

Poloxalene 

Formic acid

EPA List 4 - Inerts of Minimal Concern

Excipients 

Strychnine

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents, and votes on proposals

4:15 PM Policy Development Subcommittee (PDS)

Rick Greenwood, Chairperson

Topics:

 Discussion Document: Consent Calendar Voting 

4:30 PM Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification Subcommittee (CACS)

Scott Rice, Chairperson

Topics:

 Discussion Document: Human Capital Management

5:00 PM RECESS
 

 Revised: 8/21/2020 – subject to change THURSDAY OCTOBER 29, 2020 

RECONVENE

12:00 PM ET 

– 4:30 PM

(1 hour 

lunch @ 

~2:00) 

OFFLINE

NOSB Meeting Day 2

Please see the NOSB meeting webpage for more information and links to join the Zoom 

meeting

Handling Subcommittee (HS)

Asa Bradman, Chairperson

Topics:

 Proposal: Low-acyl gellan gum - petitioned

 Proposal: Ion exchange filtration 

 2022 Sunset substances reviews:

 Kaolin

Sodium bicarbonate

Waxes - nonsynthetic (Wood resin)

Ammonium bicarbonate

Ammonium carbonate

Calcium phosphates (monobasic, dibasic, and tribasic)

Ozone

Sodium hydroxide

Carnauba wax

Colors (18)

Glycerin

Inulin-oligofructose enriched 

Kelp

Orange shellac-unbleached

Starches: Cornstarch (native)

Starches: Sweet potato starch

Turkish bay leaves

 Whey protein concentrate) 

 Discussion Document: Whey protein concentrate - petitioned for removal

 

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents, and votes on proposals

4:30 PM Materials Subcommittee (MS)

Dave Mortensen, Chairperson

Topics:

 Proposal: Research Priorities 2020

 Proposal: Marine Macroalgae in Crop Fertility Inputs

 

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents, and votes on proposals

5:00 PM RECESS
 

 Revised: 8/21/2020 – subject to change FRIDAY OCTOBER 30, 2020 

RECONVENE

12:00 PM ET

NOSB Meeting Day 3

Please see the NOSB meeting webpage for more information and links to join the Zoom 

meeting

Crops Subcommittee (CS)

Jesse Buie, Chairperson

Topics: 

Proposal: Paper (Plant pots and other crop production aids) - petitioned

Proposal: Wild, native fish for liquid fish products

Proposal: Sodium carbonate lignin - petitioned

2022 Sunset substances review:

Soap-based algicide/demossers

Ammonium carbonate

Soaps, insecticidal

Vitamin D3

Aquatic plant extracts

Lignin sulfonate

Sodium silicate

EPA List 4 - Inerts of minimal concern

Arsenic

Strychnine

Discussion Document: Ammonia Extract - petitioned

Discussion Document: Biodegradable biobased mulch annotation change

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents, and votes on proposals

2:30 PM LUNCH Offline (60m)

3:30 PM NOSB work agendas/Materials update 

NOSB Officer elections 

Farewell to outgoing members

Other business and closing remarks

5:00 PM ADJOURN