Revised: 4/14/2020 – subject to change

National Organic Standards Board Meeting Agenda: Spring 2020

Virtual

 Schedule at a Glance:

TUESDAY, APRIL 21

and

THURSDAY, APRIL 23

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 THURSDAY, APRIL 30

MORNING

- Call to Order

- Agenda Overview

- Introductions

- Secretary’s report

- NOSB report

- USDA/AMS/NOP update

- Handling Subcommittee

AFTERNOON

- Public comment 

 webinars

- Compliance, Accreditation, 

 & Certification Subcommittee 

- Materials Subcommittee

- Crops Subcommittee 

- Livestock Subcommittee

- Work agendas/Materials 

 update

- Other business/Closing 

 remarks

 Virtual Meeting Format

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

Video will not be used in order to maximize accessibility and minimize potential bandwidth issues for board 

members and the public.

• 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NOTE: Agenda items may be withdrawn, or votes postponed at the discretion of the Board.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: All written comments may be viewed at Regulations.gov.

• Oral Comments: There are two (2) oral comment webinars scheduled for April 21 and 23, 2020. The 30-day sign-up

period for oral comments has now closed. 

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

instructions for each session

• Each person registered to make public comments is allocated 3-minutes, as in past years, to allow as many speakers 

as possible. Each commenter must state their name and affiliation for the record at the beginning of their 

comment.
 

 Revised: 4/14/2020 – subject to change

National Organic Standards Board Meeting Agenda

TUESDAY & THURSDAY, APRIL 21 & 23, 2020

NOON -

5:00 PM 

EASTERN 

TIME

Two Public comment webinars

Please see the NOSB meeting webpage for login instructions for each webinar session

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020 Please see the NOSB meeting webpage for login instructions for Wednesday

11:00 AM

EASTERN 

TIME

Call to Order, Agenda Overview, Introductions

NOSB Members and NOP Deputy Administrator

Secretary’s report

Jesse Buie, Secretary

NOSB report

Steve Ela, NOSB Chairperson

11:45 AM USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service, National Organic Program Update

12:30 PM Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification Subcommittee Update 

Scott Rice, Chairperson

12:35 PM Materials Subcommittee

Dave Mortensen, Chairperson

Topics: Discussion document: Research Priorities 2020

 

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents as needed

1:00 PM Lunch (60 minutes) Offline

RECONVENE

2:00 PM

Crops Subcommittee

Jesse Buie, Chairperson

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

Discussion Document: Wild, native fish for liquid fish products

Discussion Document: Biodegradable biobased mulch annotation change

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

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents as needed

Board votes if ready

4:00 PM Recess
 

 Revised: 4/14/2020 – subject to change

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020 Please see the NOSB meeting webpage for login instructions for Thursday

RECONVENE

11:00 AM 

EASTERN 

TIME

Handling Subcommittee

Asa Bradman, Chairperson

Topics: Discussion Document: L-Malic acid reclassification

Discussion Document: Ion exchange filtration 

Discussion Document: Fish oil annotation

2022 sunset substances review:

 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 (CAS # 56-81-5)

Inulin-oligofructose enriched (CAS # 9005-80-5)

Kelp

Orange shellac-unbleached (CAS # 9000-59-3)

Starches: Cornstarch (native)

Starches: Sweet potato starch 

Turkish bay leaves

Whey protein concentrate 

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents as needed

1:00 PM Lunch (60 minutes) Offline

2:00 PM Livestock Subcommittee

Sue Baird, Chairperson

Topics:

 Discussion document: Fenbendazole - petitioned 

 2022 Sunset substances review:

 Butorphanol 

Flunixin

Magnesium hydroxide

Poloxalene

Formic acid

EPA List 4 - Inerts of Minimal Concern

Excipients

Strychnine

Subcommittee discusses documents as needed

3:00 PM NOSB work agendas/Materials update 

3:15 PM Other business and closing remarks 

3:30 PM Adjourn