Note: Subcommittee notes may include preliminary discussions regarding substances considered for addition to or removal from the 

National List. They do not represent official National Organic Program (NOP) policy/regulations or NOSB recommendations. Proposals 

must be voted on by the full Board, to become recommendations to the USDA. Please see the NOP website for official NOP policy, 

regulations, and status of substances used in organic production and handling.

Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Notes and

Summary of National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) Subcommittee Activities

Tuesday, December 21, 2021, 4:00 pm ET

Present: Nate Powell-Palm (NPP), NOSB Chair; Mindee Jeffery (MJ), NOSB Vice Chair & PDS Chair; Kyla Smith,

NOSB Secretary & HS Chair; Rick Greenwood (RG) - Crops Chair; Wood Turner (WT), Materials Chair

Absent: Amy Bruch (ADB), CACS Chair; Kim Huseman (KH), Livestock Chair

Staff: Jennifer Tucker (JT); Erin Healy (EH); Jared Clark (JC); Andrea Holm (AH)

Agenda

• November 16th, 2021 notes

• Chairs Report (NPP)

o Native Eco-Systems

o Human Capital: NOSB support - International acceptance in Sunset reviews

o Confirm Subcommittee rosters

o NOP Risk Mitigation Table - Agenda item acceptance and subcommittee assignment

• NOP news and update (JT/EH)

o Native Eco-Systems

o NOSB support with international acceptance in Sunset reviews

o Federal Register updates, Rules and Notices

o NOSB nominations update

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates

• Additional Items

• Adjourn

Discussion

• November 16th, 2021 notes were accepted as written

• Chairs Report (NPP)

o Native Eco-Systems - NOSB would like to hear the NOP’s thoughts on the limitations of the

Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA). Discussed in NOP news and update below.

o Human Capital: NOSB support - International acceptance in sunset reviews - The NOSB would 

like assistance with completing the international acceptance portions of the sunset review 

documents and an explanation on why only some countries are listed in the sunset template. 

Discussed in NOP news and update below.

o Confirm Subcommittee rosters - Rosters will change slightly after new board members are 

onboarded.

o NOP Risk Mitigation Table - Agenda item acceptance and subcommittee assignment - The NOP 

Risk Mitigation Table agenda item was accepted and assigned to the CACS Subcommittee.

• NOP news and update (JT/EH)

o Native Eco-Systems - The 36-month transition period and wild crop scope in OFPA was 

discussed. Changes to OFPA through Congress and the Farm Bill was discussed.

o Human Capital: NOSB support - International acceptance in Sunset reviews - The NOP will 

explore developing a guide for the NOSB to use to assist their work.

o Federal Register updates, Rules and Notices - Origin of Livestock (OOL), Strengthening Organic 

Enforcement (SOE), Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS), Inerts Advance Notice of 

Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR), and the Spring 2022 NOSB Meeting Federal Register Notice (FRN) 
are in different stages of clearance. The NOP is addressing comments on the Inerts ANPR from 

the Office of General Counsel (OGC).

o NOSB nominations update - Nominee selections from the Secretary are anticipated soon.

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - The NOSB Chair reported that CACS 

continues work on a discussion document that includes comments from the Plains communities.

o Handling (HS) (KS) - All but one 2024 sunset review have been completed. HS is now working to 

submit the Spring 2022 documents to the NOP. A few petitions and Research Priorities are to be 

discussed in the upcoming calls.

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) (WT) - MS is collecting Research Priorities from the other 

Subcommittees. The distilled tall oil petition and Excluded Methods continue to be worked on.

o Crops (CS) (RG) - CS had a call today and is finishing up the ammonia extract proposal. A few 

more sunsets need to be completed but are on the schedule to be completed in time. So far this 

is a lighter year compared to the previous workload.

o Policy Development (PDS) (MJ) - An NOSB Policy and Procedure Manual (PPM) proposed 

revision is being drafted regarding public comment submission. PDS also continues to develop 

informal exit interview questions for outgoing board members.

o Livestock (LS) - The NOSB Chair reported that LS continues to progress through their sunset 

reviews.

• Additional Items

o Farm Bill (NPP) - Discussed the role of the NOSB in the upcoming Farm Bill and how it may affect 

OFPA.

o NOSB email best practices (NPP) - The NOSB Chair expressed interest in developing an informal 

best practice guide for managing NOSB emails. Such as including email subject lines that allow 

for email exchanges to continue in one email conversation (by using ‘reply-all’).

o Spring 2022 NOSB meeting (JT) - The Spring 2022 NOSB Meeting FRN plans for an in-person 

board meeting with a virtual component, with room to change to all-virtual as needed. 

• The meeting was adjourned

Previous ES Notes

Future call schedule (3rd Tuesday 4:00 PM ET | 1:00 PM PT, except where noted)

November 16, 2021

December 21, 2021

January 18, 2022

February 15, 2022 - Last call before proposal deadline

March 1, 2022

March 15, 2022

April 19, 2022

May 17, 2022

June 21, 2022

July 19, 2022

August 16, 2022

September 20, 2022

October 18, 2022

November 15, 2022

December 20, 2022
NOSB Work Agenda

Milestones 

Spring 2022 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment ~Nov 12, 2021

NOSB - Spring 2022 proposals due to NOP Feb 16, 2022

New NOSB member training TBD

NOP - Draft Spring 2022 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Feb 2, 2022

NOP - Post proposals Mar 3, 2022

Public comment closes Apr 1, 2022

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB Apr 4, 2022

Public comment webinars Apr 20 & 21, 2022

Spring 2022 NOSB meeting - Crystal City, VA Apr 26 - 28, 2022

Final recommendations due May 27, 2022
Note: Subcommittee notes may include preliminary discussions regarding substances considered for addition to or removal from the 

National List. They do not represent official National Organic Program (NOP) policy/regulations or NOSB recommendations. Proposals 

must be voted on by the full Board, to become recommendations to the USDA. Please see the NOP website for official NOP policy, 

regulations, and status of substances used in organic production and handling.

Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Notes and

Summary of National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) Subcommittee Activities

Tuesday, November 16, 2021, 4:00 pm ET

Present: Nate Powell-Palm (NPP), NOSB Chair; Mindee Jeffery (MJ), NOSB Vice Chair & PDS Chair; Kyla Smith,

NOSB Secretary & HS Chair; Amy Bruch (ADB), CACS Chair; Rick Greenwood (RG) - Crops Chair; Kim Huseman 

(KH), Livestock Chair; Wood Turner (WT), Materials Chair; Jerry D’Amore (JD) - observer; Steve Ela (SE) - observer 

Absent: 

Staff: Jennifer Tucker (JT); Dave Glasgow (DG); Erin Healy (EH); Michelle Arsenault (MA); Jared Clark (JC); Andrea 

Holm (AH)

Agenda

• October 12th, 2021 notes

• Chairs Report - NPP

o New Officers

o New Subcommittee rosters (to follow)

o Work agenda vision for year

• NOP news and update - JT/EH

o Recap of CACS call, and NOP Priorities FR Notice.

o Rulemaking update (OOL, SOE, OLPS, plus others)

o Inerts ANPR update

o Nomination update

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Fall 2021 meeting finalization

o Spring 2022 timeline (see below)

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Handling (HS) - KS

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - ADB

o Crops (CS) - RG

o Livestock (LS) - KH

• Additional Items

• Adjourn

Discussion

• October 12th, 2021 notes were accepted as written

• Chairs Report - NPP

o New Officers - The new Subcommittee rosters are drafted and will be updated again after new 

board members are announced.

o New Subcommittee rosters - Emailed to NOSB members right before the meeting.

o Work agenda vision for year - The NOSB Chair hopes to elevate the role of Subcommittee Vicepositions this year.

• NOP news and update - JT/EH

o Recap of CACS call, and NOP Priorities FR Notice (JT) - The NOP has a draft Federal Register 

Notice in review that contains a summary of the NOP priorities for rulemaking. On the last CACS 
call, there was a good discussion of organic industry topics, the NOSB work agenda, and the 

scope of the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA).

o Rulemaking update (OOL, SOE, OLPS, plus others) (EH) - Origin of Livestock (OOL), 

Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE), and Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS)

are in different stages of clearance. There are also three different National List rules addressing 

several NOSB recommendations in various stages of completion. 

o Inerts ANPR update (EH) - The Inerts Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) is in 

clearance. The NOP is addressing comments from the Office of General Counsel (OGC). 

o Nomination update (JT) - Nominations are under review and selections may be announced in 

December.

o New work agenda for the NOSB (JT) - The International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

has updated how impartiality is viewed and managed by accreditation organizations. A peer

review of the NOP resulted in a recommendation that the NOP evaluation of risks to impartiality 

be formalized. The NOP will send a work agenda request to the NOSB seeking a 

recommendation at the Spring 2022 meeting. The Executive Committee will determine which 

Subcommittee would work on this. 

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Fall 2021 meeting finalization - Final recommendations and coversheets are due Thursday, 

11/18/2021. The NOP received the meeting transcripts, which will be posted soon, along with 

the voting sheets, final recommendations, and the NOP’s response to recommendations.

o Spring 2022 timeline - See milestones table below. The group discussed new NOSB member 

start dates and call attendance.

o NOSB Charter - The NOSB charter expires every two years (expiring on 06/30/2022) and the 

NOP is drafting the renewal notice.

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Handling (HS) - KS. All 2024 sunsets have been assigned and preliminary discussions are moving 

forward. Some subjects need HS leads assigned and some subjects need reassignment due to 

roster changes and new members.

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT. MS has discussed research priorities and tall oil and

will continue working on both for the Spring 2022 meeting. MS is hoping to use the open docket 

to solicit public comment on some definitions for excluded methods that are on the To-bedetermined (TBD) list.

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ. Developing exit interview process and questions for outgoing 

board members.

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - ADB. Working through current agenda 

items, developing discussion documents, and identifying additional work agenda items to 

prioritize, such as the proposal for NOSB Support.

o Crops (CS) - RG. All sunsets have been assigned and CS is making good progress. 

o Livestock (LS) - KH. Reassignments from the roster change are nearly complete. LS has a light 

agenda this year and is a third of the way through reviewing their sunsets. LS is waiting for a 

Technical Report on glucose and is working to return their Research Priorities to MS soon.

• Additional Items

o The group discussed the culture and interrelationships of the NOSB, the NOP, and the organic 

industry.

• The meeting was adjourned
Previous ES Notes

Future call schedule (3rd Tuesday 4:00 PM ET | 1:00 PM PT, except where noted) 

October 12, 2021 - Second Tuesday

November 16, 2021

December 21, 2021

January 18, 2022

February 15, 2022 - Last call before proposal deadline

March 1, 2022

March 15, 2022

April 19, 2022

May 17, 2022

June 21, 2022

July 19, 2022

August 16, 2022

September 20, 2022

October 18, 2022

November 15, 2022

December 20, 2022

NOSB Work Agenda

Milestones 

Spring 2022 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment ~Nov 12, 2021

NOSB - Spring 2022 proposals due to NOP Feb 16, 2022

New NOSB member training TBD

NOP - Draft Spring 2022 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Feb 2, 2022

NOP - Post proposals Mar 3, 2022

Public comment closes Apr 1, 2022

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB Apr 4, 2022

Public comment webinars Apr 20 & 21, 2022

Spring 2022 NOSB meeting - Crystal City, VA Apr 26 - 28, 2022

Final recommendations due May 27, 2022
Note: Subcommittee notes may include preliminary discussions regarding substances considered for addition to or removal from the 

National List. They do not represent official National Organic Program (NOP) policy/regulations or NOSB recommendations. Proposals 

must be voted on by the full Board, to become recommendations to the USDA. Please see the NOP website for official NOP policy, 

regulations, and status of substances used in organic production and handling.

National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) 

Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Notes and Summary of NOSB Subcommittee Activities

Tuesday, October 12, 2021, 4:00 pm ET

Attending: Steve Ela (SE), NOSB Chair; Nate Powell-Palm (NPP), NOSB Vice Chair & CACS Chair; Rick Greenwood 

(RG) - Crops Chair; Mindee Jeffery (MJ), NOSB Secretary & PDS Chair; Jerry D’Amore (JD), Handling Chair; Wood 

Turner (WT), Materials Chair; Kim Huseman (KH), Livestock Chair; Logan Petrey (LP) - observer

Absent: None

Staff: Jennifer Tucker (JT); Dave Glasgow (DG); Erin Healy (EH); Michelle Arsenault (MA); Jared Clark (JC)

Agenda

• Approve notes of September 21, 2021 

• Chairs Report - SE

o Fall Agenda: Crop’s schedule, Pre-meeting meeting (M), Debrief meeting (T)

o Webinar practice - October 7 at 1:00 ET, October 8 at 2:00 ET

o Tenor of written comments

o Last Exec Committee meeting for Steve Ela as Chair

o Officer elections

• NOP news and update - JT

o New Organic Policy Advisor

o Rulemaking update (OOL, SOE, OLPS)

o Inerts ANPR update

o Policies regarding posting written comments (Possible PDS work agenda item)

o Nomination update

o Clarification of temporary confinement and pasture days requirement (in Learning Center 

webinar) written guidance?

o Climate change initiatives and NOSB work

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Fall meeting - COI/DOI, approval of Spring 2021 minutes (In binder materials)

o Spring 2022 timeline (see below)

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Livestock (LS) - KH

o Handling (HS) - JD

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP

o Crops (CS) - RG

• Additional Items

• Adjourn

Discussion

• Notes of September 21, 2021 were accepted as written

• Chairs Report - SE

o The NOSB Chair highlighted some of the Fall meeting agenda items, such as the Crops section, 

which is all day on Wednesday, the Debrief meeting on Tuesday, and the webinar practice

sessions on October 7 at 1:00 and October 8 at 2:00 ET.
o Tenor of written comments. The NOSB included the guidance from the Policy and Procedures 

Manual (PPM) about public comment etiquette in the communications to oral commenters and 

will reiterate it at the beginning of the comment webinars. 

o Members discussed the webinar format, pace, and time for questions from NOSB members.

o The Chair noted that this is his last Executive Committee meeting as Chair and expressed his 

thanks to the Board members. 

o Officer elections. Two outgoing NOSB members will facilitate the officer elections via an 

anonymous Survey Monkey poll during the Board meeting. A member shared that virtual 

elections are less than ideal as it is hard to know who is interested in the positions. 

• NOP news and update - JT

o New Organic Policy Advisor. Marni Karlin was appointed a couple of weeks ago as the Organic 

Policy Advisor and will attend the NOSB meeting to introduce herself. 

o Rulemaking update:

 Origin of Livestock (OOL), Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE), Organic Livestock 

and Poultry Standards (OLPS). All three rules are at the Office of General Counsel (OGC) 

for review. OLPS is a top priority. Once approved, OOL and SOE are expected to be 

published as final rules. 

 A proposed National List rule is in clearance and addresses three NOSB 

recommendations: paper pots from Fall 2020, low acyl gellan gum from Spring 2021, 

and a technical correction for wood “resin” to wood “rosin”. 

 The NOP has been actively talking with EPA on inerts and is working on an advanced 

notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to solicit feedback from stakeholders. After the 

ANPR phase, it may be followed by a proposed rule. 

 The proposed rule for the sunset removals of colors is open for public comment. The 

comment period closes October 25.

o A draft Federal Register Notice regarding NOP work agenda priorities is in review. If approved, 

the intent of the notice would be to solicit public comments about prioritization of items for 

rulemaking. 

o Website update - The NOP is updating and reformatting the petitioned substances database.

o Written comments. The USDA has (and all Government agencies have) rules about posting 

comments and can choose to redact or not post comments. The PDS is considering a work 

agenda item to strengthen the language in the PPM for best practices for written public 

comments. 

o Nominations update. AMS is reviewing applications and will move the nominations package 

forward soon. Selections are unlikely to be announced at the Fall meeting. 

o Clarification of temporary confinement and pasture days requirement (Learning Center webinar) 

A member asked if there was written guidance to share with clients. The NOP noted that it 

would be in the regulations or in the NOP handbook as guidance. That same member asked if it 

would be useful for the NOSB to work on clarifying this. The NOP suggested the NOSB discuss 

the scope and goal for such a project. 

o The Executive team asked how the NOP and NOSB can poise themselves to make progress with

the climate change conversation. The NOP looks forward to a strategic visioning conversation at 

the NOSB meeting. To increase time for discussion, the program posted an NOP update in the 

Learning Center ahead of the NOSB meeting. 

o A member asked about the proposed annotation for zein, and enforcement of an annotation 

that includes pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, since this is something the FDA regulates. The 

NOP shared its perspective on its regulatory authorities in this area. 

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Fall meeting - Conflict of Interest/Declaration of Interest (COI/DOI). The NOP received replies 

from all the NOSB members and there were no COIs. 
o At the Fall meeting, the NOSB members will approve the Spring 2021 meeting minutes, which 

were provided in the binder materials. 

o Spring 2022 timeline (see below)

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Livestock (LS) - KH. The LS work agenda is fairly light, and they will cancel some of the upcoming 

calls. LS has 10 sunsetting substances for the Fall meeting and will have 6 sunsets for the next 

review. 

o Handling (HS) - JD. Handling is prepared for the Fall meeting. The Subcommittee has a full 

agenda, and the conversations should be robust. 

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT. The MS will talk about two documents at the Fall 

meeting: Excluded methods and research priorities. The MS met today and determined the TR 

for tall oil (petitioned) to be sufficient. 

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ. The Chair noted the public comments they received on the PDS 

discussion document and expressed appreciation to the community for being engaged. 

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP. The CACS Chair asked if virtual/remote 

inspections is going to be the norm. It seems that certifiers have been managing their own 

procedures well, and could use a hybrid model going forward. The CACS reviewed public 

comments on its two documents during today’s call. Both documents received robust feedback 

and supportive comments. The CACS is expecting lots of technical information on the Integrity 

document.

o Crops (CS) - RG. Crops has a busy agenda for the Fall NOSB meeting, and a couple of the 

materials have garnered lots of attention. In addition to several sunset materials, the CS has 9

proposals, 6 of which are petitioned materials. The CS assigned discussion dates for its 2024 

sunset substances. 

• Additional Items. 

o NOP will send coversheets to the Subcommittee Chairs in the next week or two, and asked that 

they finalize the documents and get them submitted by November 18.

o The NOSB Chair thanked the Subcommittee Chairs for their support and service. 

• The meeting was adjourned

Previous ES Notes

NOSB Work Agenda

Future call schedule: All calls 4:00 ET/1:00 PT 3rd Tuesday except where noted

September 21, 2021

October 12, 2021 - Second Tuesday

November 16, 2021

December 21, 2021
Fall 2021 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment Jun 3, 2021

NOSB Request for TRs for 2024 sunset materials Jun 18, 2021

NOP - Draft Fall 2020 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Jul 30, 2021

NOSB - Fall 2021 proposals due to NOP Aug 13, 2021

NOP - Post proposals On or before Sep 1, 2021

Discuss/finalize work agendas on ES call Sep 21, 2021

Public comment closes Sep 30, 2021

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB ~Oct 4, 2021

Public comment webinars Oct 13 & 14, 2021

Fall 2021 NOSB meeting - Virtual Oct 19 - 21, 2021

Final recommendations due Nov 19, 2021

Spring 2022 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment ~Nov 12, 2021

NOSB - Spring 2022 proposals due to NOP Feb 16, 2022

New NOSB member training TBD

NOP - Draft Spring 2022 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Feb 2, 2022

NOP - Post proposals Mar 3, 2022

Public comment closes Apr 1, 2022

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB Apr 4, 2022

Public comment webinars Apr 20 & 21, 2022

Spring 2022 NOSB meeting - Crystal City, VA Apr 26 - 28, 2022

Final recommendations due May 27, 2022
Note: Subcommittee notes may include preliminary discussions regarding substances considered for addition to or removal from the 

National List. They do not represent official National Organic Program (NOP) policy/regulations or NOSB recommendations. Proposals 

must be voted on by the full Board, to become recommendations to the USDA. Please see the NOP website for official NOP policy, 

regulations, and status of substances used in organic production and handling.

National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) 

Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Notes and Summary of NOSB Subcommittee Activities

Tuesday, September 21, 2021, 4:00 pm ET

Attending: Steve Ela (SE), NOSB Chair; Nate Powell-Palm (NPP), NOSB Vice Chair & CACS Chair; Rick Greenwood 

(RG) - Crops Chair; Mindee Jeffery (MJ), NOSB Secretary & PDS Chair; Jerry D’Amore (JD), Handling Chair; Wood 

Turner (WT), Materials Chair; Kim Huseman (KH), Livestock Chair; Kyla Smith (KS) - observer; Logan Petrey (LP) -

observer

Absent: None

Staff: Jennifer Tucker (JT); Dave Glasgow (DG); Erin Healy (EH); Michelle Arsenault (MA); Jared Clark (JC)

Agenda

• Approve notes of August 17, 2021 

• Chairs Report - SE

o Virtual NOSB meeting

o October 19, 2021 ES call rescheduled to October 12

o Public comments open. Posted vs. received

o Timeline for petitions

o Voting process for officers - Survey Monkey

• NOP news and update - JT

o Update re: Under Secretary

o Rulemaking update (OOL, SOE, OLPP)

o Inerts ANPR update

o CBP/NOP - database integration update

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Fall meeting update (Fall proposals status, logistics) 

o Spring 2022 timeline

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Livestock (LS) - KH

o Handling (HS) - JD

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ

 PDS - informal exit interviews

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP

o Crops (CS) - RG

• Additional Items

• Adjourn

Discussion

• Notes of August 17, 2021 were accepted as written

• Chairs Report - SE

o The NOSB meeting will be held virtually. Sacramento was rescheduled for Fall 2022.

o The October 19 Exec call was rescheduled to October 12 since it conflicted with the Fall NOSB 

meeting.

o The Chair clarified why there is sometimes a discrepancy in the comment numbers in 

Regulations.gov. The “received” number is only updated once a day in the morning and may not 

reflect the posted number, which could be lower or higher. Once NOP reads and posts the 
comments, they are visible to the public. Currently there are 137 written comments, and oral 

comment registration is full. NOP has started a waitlist.

o Timeline for petitions. The timeline for review of petitions can be long, and the Chair noted that 

sometimes it is extended while waiting for technical reports or responses from petitioners. He 

asked that Subcommittee Chairs keep an eye on submission and due dates to make sure the 

process is moving forward.

o Voting process for officers. The NOSB will conduct the officer elections at the virtual meeting

using polling software, like they did at the Fall 2020 meeting. Since the votes are anonymous, 

two of the outgoing members will tally votes. 

• NOP news and update - JT

o Under Secretary update. Jenny Lester Moffitt was confirmed as the Marketing and Regulatory 

Program (MRP) Under Secretary just after the last Executive call. Mae Wu continues in her role 

as Deputy Under Secretary. A new Organic Policy Advisor was appointed this week and should 

be announced soon. Given the recent Under Secretary confirmation, the NOSB nominations will 

likely be announced after the Fall 2021 meeting. Currently applications are still under review at 

AMS. 

o Rulemaking update (SOE, OLPP, OOL) - EH. 

 Origin of Livestock (OOL) final rule has been written and is legal review. Once it is 

approved, it will move into departmental clearance (AMS/MRP), then be sent to the 

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for final approval. 

 The Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) final rule will be in clearance soon and 

will take the same path as the OOL rule: legal review, AMS/MRP, and OMB.

 The Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices proposed rule has also been drafted and the 

legal team is reviewing it. 

 Inerts update. The Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) for inerts was 

reviewed by the legal team and NOP has received feedback from EPA, which it is 

currently reviewing.

 The proposed rule on NOSB recommendations for low acyl gellan gum and paper pots is

in clearance and will be available for comment once posted. 

o CBP/NOP - database integration. The SOE proposed rule laid out requirements for import 

certificates. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) system is only available to brokers,

therefore, NOP is seeking to build a front-end system that is available to certifiers to generate 

the import certificates themselves. It is likely it will be available before the SOE rule is effective.

o A member asked about the cooperative agreement based on the CACS recommendation on 

human capital management: inspector mentorship/apprenticeship/consistency. The NOP 

received a range of projects from a wide range of organizations and expects to announce 

awards soon. 

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Fall meeting update. The meeting will be held via Zoom. NOP will schedule two practices 

sessions in early October to test mics and cameras, and to review logistics for both the comment 

webinars and the NOSB meeting.

o MA provided an update about the Spring 2022 timeline. See table below.

o The next several NOSB meetings have tentatively been scheduled. The Sacramento meeting was 

rebooked for Fall 2022, and the Providence meeting was rescheduled for Fall 2023. 

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Livestock (LS) - KH. The Livestock Committee has a light agenda at the moment. It consists of 

only sunset reviews, and members are looking forward to reading public comments. On the last 

call, the LS found the TR for kaolin pectin sufficient. 

o Handling (HS) - JD. Handling met briefly today and determined the TR for Cetylpyridinium 

chloride (CPC) sufficient. The TR sufficiency for phosphoric acid was deferred to the next call. 
The HS will also discuss how to move ahead with the ion exchange project, given the NOP 

response regarding EPA regulations. 

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT. The MS didn’t meet in September. The Subcommittee 

is looking forward to discussions on Excluded Methods and Research Priorities at the Fall 

meeting. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) already reached out to the NOSB 

about the research priorities proposal so it could be included in the NIFA call for proposals. The 

MS will review tall oil for the Spring 2022 meeting. 

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ. PDS is anxiously awaiting comments on its discussion document 

on the public comment process. The Subcommittee is also considering informal exit interviews 

of outgoing board members to inform process improvements. NOP has sought information 

about practices of other USDA Boards, but didn’t find any information. 

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP. The CACS has two documents for the 

Fall meeting: a letter to the Secretary regarding climate change and a discussion document on 

fraud prevention. The Subcommittee is looking forward to hearing an update on the human 

capital project awards. 

o Crops (CS) - RG. Crops has a long list of proposals for the Fall meeting and is anticipating lots of 

comments. 

• Additional Items. None.

The meeting was adjourned

Previous ES Notes

NOSB Work Agenda

Future call schedule: All calls 4:00 ET/1:00 PT 3rd Tuesday except where noted

August 17, 2021

September 21, 2021

October 12, 2021 - Second Tuesday

November 16, 2021

December 21, 2021

Fall 2021 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment Jun 3, 2021

NOSB Request for TRs for 2024 sunset materials Jun 18, 2021

NOP - Draft Fall 2020 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Jul 30, 2021

NOSB - Fall 2021 proposals due to NOP Aug 13, 2021

NOP - Post proposals On or before Sep 1, 2021

Discuss/finalize work agendas on ES call Sep 21, 2021

Public comment closes Sep 30, 2021

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB ~Oct 4, 2021

Public comment webinars Oct 13 & 14, 2021

Fall 2021 NOSB meeting - Sacramento, CA Oct 19 - 21, 2021

Final recommendations due Nov 19, 2021
Spring 2022 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment ~Nov 12, 2021

NOSB - Spring 2022 proposals due to NOP Feb 16, 2022

New NOSB member training TBD

NOP - Draft Spring 2022 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Feb 2, 2022

NOP - Post proposals Mar 3, 2022

Public comment closes Apr 1, 2022

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB Apr 4, 2022

Public comment webinars Apr 20 & 21, 2022

Spring 2022 NOSB meeting - Crystal City, VA Apr 26 - 28, 2022

Final recommendations due May 27, 2022
Note: Subcommittee notes may include preliminary discussions regarding substances considered for addition to or removal from the 

National List. They do not represent official National Organic Program (NOP) policy/regulations or NOSB recommendations. Proposals 

must be voted on by the full Board, to become recommendations to the USDA. Please see the NOP website for official NOP policy, 

regulations, and status of substances used in organic production and handling.

National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) 

Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Notes and Summary of NOSB Subcommittee Activities

Tuesday, August 17, 2021, 4:00 pm ET

Attending: Steve Ela (SE), NOSB Chair; Mindee Jeffery (MJ), NOSB Secretary & PDS Chair; Jerry D’Amore (JD), 

Handling Chair; Wood Turner (WT), Materials Chair; Kim Huseman (KH), Livestock Chair; Rick Greenwood (RG), 

Crops Chair; Kyla Smith (KS) - observer

Absent: Nate Powell-Palm (NPP), NOSB Vice Chair & CACS Chair

Staff: Jennifer Tucker (JT); Dave Glasgow (DG); Erin Healy (EH); Michelle Arsenault (MA); Jared Clark (JC)

Agenda

• Approve notes of July 20, 2021 

• Chairs Report - SE

o In-person meeting - Sacramento (Sept. 24 reservation cutoff)

o NOC survey results

o Overview of draft Fall meeting agenda (attached)

• NOP news and update - JT

o Rulemaking update (SOE, OLPP, OOL)

o Recent sunset renewals, and timeline for sunset removals

o NOSB Nominations

o MRP Undersecretary nomination status

o Administration priorities/agenda

o Organic Policy Advisor update

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Fall meeting update (Fall proposals status, travel logistics) 

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Crops (CS) - RG

o Livestock (LS) - KH

o Handling (HS) - JD

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ 

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - SE for NPP

• Additional Items

• Adjourn

Discussion

• Notes of July 20 were approved as written.

• Chairs Report - SE

o In-person meeting - Sacramento (Sept. 24 cutoff). The Fall NOSB meeting is currently scheduled 

to be in-person, and the NOSB and NOP continue to monitor the travel and meeting guidelines. 

A final determination will be made by late September. 

o NOC survey results. The National Organic Coalition (NOC) surveyed their membership and has 

chosen to hold their Fall meeting virtually.

o Overview of draft Fall meeting agenda. The final proposals have been all been submitted, and 

the NOP is preparing the documents for posting to the website. The NOSB Chair encouraged 

Subcommittee Chairs to keep in mind the timeline for future meetings, and get proposals
submitted early, as they are completed. He also added that after the Fall meeting, the Subcomm 

chairs must submit the final recommendations before the meeting is considered closed. 

o NOP will set up a brief training to review best practices for submitting proposals for the 

meetings, and for submitting final recommendations after the NOSB meetings.

o Ion Exchange memo from NOP to NOSB. The FDA regulations about whether ion exchange resins 

are food contact substances or not are unclear. Therefore, the Board is now tasked with making 

an independent recommendation. The Handling Subcommittee will discuss the complex topic 

and determine how to move forward. 

o The Crops Chair noted that the pandemic restrictions/policies in CA could shift in the next 

month. 

• NOP news and update - JT

o The new Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) Undersecretary, Jenny Lester Moffitt, was 

sworn in this morning. The NOP will let the Board know about any new priorities as that 

information becomes available. 

o Rulemaking update. The NOP is working towards finishing three significant rules that should be 

in clearance this Fall. Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE), Organic Livestock and Poultry

Practices (OLPP), and Origin of Livestock (OOL). All three are top priorities in Standards. The 

OLPP litigation is still outstanding. 

o Recent sunset renewals, and timeline for sunset removals. A sunset renewal notice containing 

NOSB recommendations completed in 2019 and 2020 was published recently (86 FR 41699). 

The Advanced Notice of Rulemaking (ANPR) for Inerts is in progress, and the NOP should have a 

final draft soon. The proposed rule for sunset removals (86 FR 47242) is in progress and should 

be published soon. NOP is waiting for a publication date. This rule contains 18 NOSB 

recommendations to remove colors, Turkish bay leaves, whey protein concentrate, among 

others. The 60-day public comment period will open when it publishes. The NOSB Chair noted 

that Handling also has a petition to remove whey protein concentrate from the National List, 

and depending on the outcome of the sunset review, could be moot. 

o NOSB Nominations. The final decisions may be delayed beyond October since the new Under

Secretary was just sworn in today. 

o Administration priorities/agenda. The NOP continues to focus on three priorities: Rulemaking, 

compliance & enforcement, and import certificates. The NOP is exploring technologies that can 

assist and support these efforts, and the CACS has developed a discussion document about the 

same. 

o Update on enforcement - India. Affected operations in India had to apply to a new certifier by 

July. To date, approximately 2200 operations (about half of the ~4500 operations) have

reapplied. The NOP has a successful working group with certifiers in India, and certifiers are 

working on the new applications, with the knowledge that everyone must be fully certified by 

July 2022 in order to stay in the system. 

o A member asked about large grain producers possibly filing bankruptcy. The NOP indicated that 

it is aware of the volatility of the market and is conducting surveillance.

o Staffing update. The NOP now has 71 staff members, which is double the number from about a 

year and a half ago.

o The NOP anticipates making awards for the human capital project proposals, and announcing 

them after the new fiscal year, October 1. 

o Organic Policy Advisor update. Selection of a new policy advisor is in progress and the NOP 

anticipates that the new appointee could be on board in the Fall.

• Advisory Committee Specialist (ACS) update - MA

o Fall meeting update (Fall proposals status, travel logistics). The NOP will send travel guidance to 

the NOSB so new members know how it works, with the caveat that flight arrangements won’t 

be made until after October 1. 
o All Fall proposals were submitted and are under review. The NOP anticipates posting the 

meeting materials around September 1. 

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Crops (CS) - RG. Crops has a number of proposals for the Fall meeting, including seven 

petitioned substances and eight sunset reviews. The Chair noted that some, like biochar and

ammonia extracts, could be controversial topics. A member asked about sending references to 

stakeholders before the proposals are posted. Public background materials used to develop the 

proposals can be shared. 

o Livestock (LS) - KH. The Livestock Subcommittee received the TR for kaolin pectin after the 

proposal was complete and submitted. The LS will complete TR sufficiency on the next call, and 

prior to the Fall meeting. 

o Handling (HS) - JD. The HS will add discussion time to its next agenda to determine how to move 

forward with ion exchange. Handling documents for the Fall meeting are submitted, and one is 

undergoing some final edits. The Handling Chair expressed appreciation for the NOP and NOSB 

Chair for guiding the process.

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT. The Materials Chair praised Subcommittee members 

for the thoughtful and thorough documents on excluded methods and research priorities. The 

MS chose to defer the tall oil review, as the TR was received after the proposal submission 

deadline. 

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ. The PDS is working on a discussion document addressing the 

public comment process and is looking forward to having a discussion with the full board. The 

PDS also has a couple of future projects in mind, and is interested in working on transparency 

and access to the Board. 

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - SE for NPP. The CACS is working on two 

projects for the Fall meeting: A proposal/letter to the Secretary regarding climate change

initiatives, which, the lead noted, feels timely given the Administration’s priorities; and the 

Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE)/Fraud prevention discussion document. 

• Additional Items. A member asked about NOSB resolutions, and the group will talk more about it on the 

next Executive team call. 

• The meeting was adjourned

Previous ES Notes

NOSB Work Agenda

Future call schedule: All calls 4:00 ET/1:00 PT 3rd Tuesday except where noted

July 20, 2021

August 17, 2021

September 21, 2021

October 19, 2021

November 16, 2021

December 21, 2021
Fall 2021 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment Jun 3, 2021

NOSB Request for TRs for 2024 sunset materials Jun 18, 2021

NOP - Draft Fall 2020 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Jul 30, 2021

NOSB - Fall 2021 proposals due to NOP Aug 13, 2021

NOP - Post proposals On or before Sep 1, 2021

Discuss/finalize work agendas on ES call Sep 21, 2021

Public comment closes Sep 30, 2021

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB ~Oct 4, 2021

Public comment webinars Oct 13 & 14, 2021

Fall 2021 NOSB meeting - Sacramento, CA Oct 19 - 21, 2021

Final recommendations due Nov 19, 2021
Note: Subcommittee notes may include preliminary discussions regarding substances considered for addition to or removal from the 

National List. They do not represent official National Organic Program (NOP) policy/regulations or NOSB recommendations. Proposals 

must be voted on by the full Board, to become recommendations to the USDA. Please see the NOP website for official NOP policy, 

regulations, and status of substances used in organic production and handling.

National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) 

Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Notes and Summary of NOSB Subcommittee Activities

Tuesday, July 20, 2021, 4:00 pm ET 

Attending: Steve Ela (SE), NOSB Chair; Nate Powell-Palm (NPP), NOSB Vice Chair & CACS Chair; Jerry D’Amore 

(JD), Handling Chair; Wood Turner (WT), Materials Chair; Kim Huseman (KH), Livestock Chair; Rick Greenwood 

(RG), Crops Chair; Kyla Smith (KS) - observer

Absent: Mindee Jeffery (MJ), NOSB Secretary & PDS Chair

Staff: Jennifer Tucker (JT); Erin Healy (EH); Michelle Arsenault (MA); Jared Clark (JC)

Agenda

• Approve notes of June 15, 2021

• Chairs Report - SE

• NOP news and update - JT

o Rulemaking update

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Fall meeting update (Fall proposals due August 13)

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP

o Crops (CS) - RG

o Livestock (LS) - KH

o Handling (HS) - JD

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ

• Additional Items

• Adjourn

Discussion

• Notes of June 15 were accepted as written.

• Chairs Report - SE

o The NOP approved the Crops Subcommittee request for a work agenda item on sodium nitrate,

and Crops will write a proposal for the Fall 2021 meeting.

o Progress for Fall meeting. The Chair reminded members to submit final proposals as they are

completed. The Subcommittees are making good progress and are on track for the Fall meeting.

o The Subcommittee Chairs were encouraged to revisit the work agendas and determine if there

are any TR needs.

o Fall meeting. The Chair noted that many of the NOSB members have not met in person, or

participated in an in-person meeting, and may need extra support. In light of that the NOSB will

likely extend the pre-meeting administrative meeting to allow for more questions about

process. In addition to a full agenda, the NOSB will also hold officer elections at the Fall meeting,

so it will be a very busy meeting. The group discussed the potential that the Fall meeting will

end up moving to a virtual platform instead of in-person, and when and how that decision will

be made. The decision will depend NOSB members and the community, and perhaps also

restrictions in the State of CA, and/or the Federal Government.

• NOP news and update - JT

o Rulemaking update.

 Origin of Livestock (OOL). The comment period for the proposed rule was re-opened

and closed July 12, 2021. The next stage for the NOP is writing of the final rule.
 Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE). NOP is working on the final rule and expects 

that it will be submitted for clearance later this year and published in the Spring of 2022. 

 Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) is in litigation and is moving towards a 

resolution. 

 There are several National List rules in progress that address NOSB recommendations on 

sunsets and petitioned substances.

o Nominations. NOP is reviewing applications and hopes to be able to announce the new 

members at the Fall meeting. 

o Ion exchange update - response from NOP re: FDA. NOP will follow up with the NOSB as soon as 

path forward is decided. Could be a memo to certifiers or could be a memo to the NOSB. 

o Administration updates. The confirmation hearing for the candidate for the MRP Deputy 

Administrator was just held and now has to be voted on by Congress. 

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Fall meeting update. The Fall proposals are due August 13. Currently NOP is expecting 18 

proposals, two discussion documents, and 33 sunset reviews. 

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP. The CACS discussed the potential for 

database integration between the Organic Integrity Database and other agencies, such as the 

Farm Service Agency and the Risk Management Agency. The Subcommittee is working on three

documents for the Fall 2021 meeting: A proposal on Human Capital Management/NOSB 

Assistance; a proposal on a Letter to the Secretary on Climate Change, which was posted to the 

open docket for comment until August 3; and a discussion document on Fraud and Building 

Infrastructure for Transparency in the Supply Chain. 

o Crops (CS) - RG. The CS voted on a number of documents today during its call. The sunset review 

for copper sulfate was completed, and the CS discussed adding a research priority exploring 

alternatives to copper. The Subcommittee also completed the biodegradable biobased mulch

proposal as well as a proposal for kasugamycin (petitioned). The Subcommittee added an extra 

call at end of July to complete the rest of the Fall meeting documents. 

o Livestock (LS) - KH. The Livestock Subcommittee will meet in early August to finish one sunset 

and its research priorities, which will be forwarded to the Materials Subcommittee. 

o Handling (HS) - JD. Handling is well organized and on track to complete all projects for the Fall 

2021 meeting. The HS Chair noted the limited time for discussion during the calls and praised 

the members for getting their work completed. Several documents are in progress, such as 

Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and Zein. 

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT. The Materials Subcommittee has three work agenda 

items; Excluded Methods, Research Priorities; and petition for Tall Oil.

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ. The PDS is working on a discussion document about oral and 

written comments and is seeking a way to ensure equity with regard to access to NOSB 

members.

• Additional Items. None.

• The meeting was adjourned

Previous ES Notes

NOSB Work Agenda

Future call schedule: All calls 4:00 ET/1:00 PT 3rd Tuesday except where noted

June 15, 2021

July 20, 2021

August 17, 2021

September 21, 2021
October 19, 2021

November 16, 2021

December 21, 2021

Fall 2021 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment Jun 3, 2021

NOSB Request for TRs for 2024 sunset materials Jun 18, 2021

NOP - Draft Fall 2020 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Jul 30, 2021

NOSB - Fall 2021 proposals due to NOP Aug 13, 2021

NOP - Post proposals On or before Sep 1, 2021

Discuss/finalize work agendas on ES call Sep 21, 2021

Public comment closes Sep 30, 2021

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB ~Oct 4, 2021

Public comment webinars Oct 12 & 14, 2021

Fall 2021 NOSB meeting - Sacramento, CA Oct 19 - 21, 2021

Final recommendations due Nov 19, 2021
Note: Subcommittee notes may include preliminary discussions regarding substances considered for addition to or removal from the

National List. They do not represent official National Organic Program (NOP) policy/regulations or NOSB recommendations. Proposals 

must be voted on by the full Board, to become recommendations to the USDA. Please see the NOP website for official NOP policy,

regulations, and status of substances used in organic production and handling.

National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)

Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Notes and Summary of NOSB Subcommittee Activities 

Tuesday, June 15, 2021, 4:00 pm ET 

Attending: Mindee Jeffery (MJ), NOSB Secretary & PDS Chair; Nate Powell-Palm (NPP), NOSB Vice Chair & CACS

Chair; Jerry D’Amore (JD), Handling Chair; Wood Turner (WT), Materials Chair; Kim Huseman (KH), Livestock

Chair; Rick Greenwood (RG), Crops Chair; Logan Petrey (LP) - observer

Absent: Steve Ela (SE), NOSB Chair

Staff: Jennifer Tucker (JT); Erin Healy (EH); Michelle Arsenault (MA); Jared Clark (JC)

Agenda

• Approve notes of May 18, 2021

• Chairs Report - NPP/MJ for SE

o CACS Climate Change Proposal/Letter

o Open docket - opened June 3. Comment deadline September 30, 2021.

o Crops will be submitting work agenda request to add sodium nitrate to 205.602

o Board is progressing with Fall work agenda items.

• NOP news and update - JT

o Rulemaking update

o RFA for NOSB support - progress and process

o Technical Report cooperative agreement

o Nominations update

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Fall meeting update (Logistics, live casting, travel planning, draft agenda).

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP

o Crops (CS) - RG

o Livestock (LS) - KH

o Handling (HS) - JD

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT

• Additional Items

• Adjourn

Discussion

• Notes of May 18 were accepted as written.

• Chairs Report - NPP/MJ for SE

o CACS Climate Change Proposal/Letter to the Secretary. The CACS will request a work agenda

item and is seeking to write a proposal for the Fall meeting

o Open docket. The Fall meeting docket opened June 3, and the comment deadline is September

30, 2021. The docket is open and available to solicit feedback from the public before the earlier

than the 30-day period prior to the meeting

o Crops will be submitting a work agenda request to add sodium nitrate to 205.602.

o The Subcommittees are progressing with Fall work agenda items and are on track to complete

everything for the Fall 2021 NOSB meeting.

• NOP news and update - JT

o Rulemaking update.
 Origin of Livestock (OOL). The comment period for the proposed rule was re-opened 

and will close July 12, 2021. 

 Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE). NOP is working on the final rule, and expects 

that it will be submitted for clearance later this year and published in the Spring of 2022. 

 Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) is in litigation and is moving towards a 

resolution. 

 Inerts is listed on the regulatory agenda and continues to be a priority for the NOP. 

o Request for Applications (RFA) for NOSB support - progress and process. The RFA for Human 

Capital contains multiple projects; one includes support for the NOSB. The NOP anticipates 

several proposals, and if none of the proposals include a component for NOSB support, the NOP 

may send out a more specific RFA. 

o Technical Report (TR) cooperative agreement. NOP entered into a cooperative agreement with 

the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI); we anticipate this will be more flexible/nimble 

than the previous contracting format. OMRI will provide subject matter experts dedicated to 

work on NOP technical reports. With regard to potential COIs, for any TRs that OMRI cannot 

work on, the NOP will seek another entity qualified to do the analysis. The new process shortens 

the time that it takes to get a TR by about 2 months, which improves the NOSB’s workflow. 

o Nominations update. The NOP received a total of 31 applications for 4 positions. A member 

asked about the diversity of the pool of candidates given the enhanced outreach efforts. 

Members discussed potential barriers to getting people to apply, including time commitment, 

funding for members, etc.

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Fall meeting update (live-casting, travel planning, draft agenda). Meeting planning for Fall is 

underway. The NOP is working on live-casting the meeting from Sacramento to increase 

participation by those who cannot or would prefer not to travel. The NOP will update the NOSB 

members about travel arrangements. 

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ. The PDS is working on a discussion document on the public 

comment process and should have a document ready for the Fall 2021 meeting.

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP. The CACS is working on three projects: 

a letter to the Secretary regarding climate change; a discussion document about SOE, specifically

integrity and fraud prevention in the grain market; and a list of potential work projects for Board 

support. 

o Crops (CS) - RG. The Crops Subcommittee requested a work agenda item to relist sodium nitrate 

at 205.602 (prohibited) with an annotation. In 2012 the NOSB voted to prohibit use of sodium 

nitrate altogether, and that recommendation was not implemented. Currently sodium nitrate 

appears on the National List but is considered an invalid listing. The request was approved by 

the Executive Committee and the Chair will submit the request to the NOP for approval. The CS 

plans on writing a proposal for the Fall 2021 meeting. 

o Livestock (LS) - KH. The Livestock Subcomm is making good progress on its work agenda for the 

Fall meeting. The LS is waiting for a TR on kaolin pectin. 

o Handling (HS) - JD. The HS is proceeding with its work agenda items for the Fall meeting, and 

each call is very busy. The HS completed its request for TRs for 2024 sunsets, is working on 2023 

sunset reviews, and is reviewing several petitions: zein, cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), and 

phosphoric acid. 

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT. The MS Chair reminded the Crops, Livestock, and 

Handling Subcommittee Chairs to submit research priorities to the MS before August 10, which 

is the Materials Subcommittee’s last call before the proposal deadline. Materials is working on a 

discussion document on excluded methods, specifically the TBD list, and would like to invite 

guests to a future MS call(s) to discuss seed breeding. 

• Additional Items. None.
• The meeting was adjourned

Previous ES Notes

NOSB Work Agenda

Future call schedule: All calls 4:00 ET/1:00 PT 3rd Tuesday except where noted

May 18, 2021

June 15, 2021

July 20, 2021

August 17, 2021

September 21, 2021

October 19, 2021

November 16, 2021

December 21, 2021

Fall 2021 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment Jun 3, 2021

NOSB Request for TRs for 2024 sunset materials Jun 18, 2021

NOP - Draft Fall 2020 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Jul 30, 2021

NOSB - Fall 2021 proposals due to NOP Aug 13, 2021

NOP - Post proposals On or before Sep 1, 2021

Discuss/finalize work agendas on ES call Sep 21, 2021

Public comment closes Sep 30, 2021

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB ~Oct 4, 2021

Public comment webinars Oct 12 & 14, 2021

Fall 2021 NOSB meeting - Sacramento, CA Oct 19 - 21, 2021

Final recommendations due Nov 19, 2021
Note: Subcommittee notes may include preliminary discussions regarding substances considered for addition to or removal from the 

National List. They do not represent official National Organic Program (NOP) policy/regulations or NOSB recommendations. Proposals 

must be voted on by the full Board, to become recommendations to the USDA. Please see the NOP website for official NOP policy, 

regulations, and status of substances used in organic production and handling.

National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)

Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Notes and Summary of NOSB Subcommittee Activities 

Tuesday, May 18, 2021, 4:00 pm ET 

Attending: Steve Ela (SE), NOSB Chair; Mindee Jeffery (MJ), NOSB Secretary & PDS Chair; Nate Powell-Palm 

(NPP); NOSB Vice Chair & CACS Chair; Jerry D’Amore (JD), Handling Chair; Wood Turner (WT), Materials Chair; 

Kim Huseman (KH), Livestock Chair; Rick Greenwood (RG), Crops Chair; Carolyn Dimitri (CD) - observer; Brian

Caldwell (BC) - observer

Absent: 

Staff: Jennifer Tucker (JT); Dave Glasgow (DG); Erin Healy (EH); Michelle Arsenault (MA); Jared Clark (JC)

Agenda

• Approve notes of April 19, 2021

• Chairs Report - SE

o Feedback about Spring meeting

o Intensity and quality of discussions at NOSB meeting

o Final recommendations - process for completion

o Fall deadlines (TR requests due to NOP mid-June)

o Fall meeting: Comment time /Live broadcast/hybrid re: NOSB members

• NOP news and update - JT

o Feedback from the Spring NOSB meeting

o Call for nominations - outreach efforts

o Hydroponics lawsuit - outcomes?

o Update on rulemaking

o Update on enforcement – specifically, India timeline

o Human Capital project - call for proposals update

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Final recommendations due May 21

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP

o Crops (CS) - RG

o Livestock (LS) - KH

o Handling (HS) - JD

• Additional Items

• Adjourn

Discussion 

• Notes of April 19, 2021 were accepted as written

• Chairs Report - SE

o Feedback about Spring meeting. The Chair praised members for a successful meeting, noting the

intensity and quality of discussions. Members echoed those sentiments adding that the virtual

meeting went very smoothly.

o The group discussed the public comment process and noted that the Policy Development

Subcommittee (PDS) will be working on this topic. A member emphasized the need to make the
comment process fair and efficient and allow the Board to complete its work given that they 

only meet twice a year. 

o Final recommendations - process for completion. Due May 21, 2021. Please send coversheets 

with the executive summary and OFPA justification to the Subcomm Chair, NOSB Chair, and 

NOP. 

o Fall deadlines. The CS, HS, and LS scheduled discussion dates today and should have TR requests 

to NOP by early June. 

o Fall meeting: Comment time/Live broadcast/hybrid. The NOP is working with the hotel AV team

in Sacramento to work on logistics for the Fall meeting, including the possibility of live 

broadcasting the meeting. 

• NOP news and update - JT

o Feedback from the Spring NOSB meeting. NOP expressed its appreciation for the Board 

members organization and professionalism. 

o Call for nominations. The NOP sent out a reminder today that the deadline for applications is

approaching. NOP has expanded its outreach efforts to engage stakeholders and communities 

that are underrepresented, and asked the NOSB members to reach out to their stakeholders. 

o Hydroponics lawsuit. NOP has not yet briefed the new administration about this topic. The topic 

of containers in general will be considered as NOP reviews the list of outstanding NOSB 

recommendations with the Administration. 

o Update on rulemaking. 

 Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE). NOP is working on the final rule. 

 Origin of Livestock (OOL). The comment period for the proposed rule was re-opened 

and will close July 12, 2021.

 Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) is in litigation - no update at this time. 

 National List rules and inerts are priorities. The NOP will review the outstanding 

recommendations to determine which ones could move forward. 

o Update on enforcement - India timeline. NOP received a request to extend the deadline for 

affected operations to apply to USDA certifiers, which is in July 2021. Operations must have, at a 

minimum, applied to a new certifier by this deadline. A member noted that some stakeholders 

are struggling with this deadline due to aspects such as freight, logistics, and the pandemic. 

Another member asked about the potential for fraud in the interim, prior to new applications 

and the transition to a new certifier. NOP will continue to evaluate feedback as to whether a 

deadline is necessary. In the meantime, applicants in India will be listed in the Organic Integrity 

Database. 

o Human Capital project - call for proposals update. The call for proposals was published recently, 

and the NOP is anticipating a number of applications. 

o Technical Report update. Recently the NOP and NOSB had some challenges with the Technical 

Reports (TRs) and has entered into a TR cooperative agreement with the Organic Materials 

Review Institute (OMRI). The NOSB should not experience delays. 

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Final recommendations due May 21. The Subcommittee Chairs and /or lead reviewers should 

complete the coversheets for the final recommendations and submit them to NOP for posting.

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT. The MS Chair will send out a summary of comments 

from the Spring Research Priorities document to the Subcommittees as they begin work on the 

Fall iteration of the proposal. Final proposals for the Fall NOSB meeting are due to NOP August 

13. The MS discussed the TBD list for the Excluded Methods document and is seeking feedback 

from the NOP about how to move forward. The MS will continue this discussion on its next call. 
o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ. On its last call the PDS discussed the current comment process -

both oral and written. The Subcommittee is interested in illuminating all options, how the NOSB 

interacts with commenters, and community expectations. The PDS will continue to discuss this 

over the summer and may have a discussion document for the Fall NOSB meeting. 

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP. The CACS voted in favor of the 

recommendation on Human Capital Management and is looking forward to the final awards for 

proposals. The CACS is working on the second part of the Human Capital project, addressing 

NOSB support, and should have a document for the fall meeting. 

o Crops (CS) - RG. The Subcommittee spent today’s call scheduling discussion dates for all its work 

agenda items and assigned leads for the 2024 sunset reviews. The CS also discussed the chitosan 

petitions (two in Crops and one in Livestock).

o Livestock (LS) - KH. The LS scheduled discussion dates for all its work agenda items and assigned 

leads for the 2024 sunset reviews. The Subcommittee is on track to complete all its work for the 

Fall meeting. There are six sunsets for 2024, and the LS will determine the need for TRs during 

the next call. Some substances have not had a recent TR. The LS is waiting for a TR on a 2023 

sunset substance, kaolin pectin, and is reviewing one petitioned item - chitosan. 

o Handling (HS) - JD. Handling spent today’s call scheduling discussion dates for all its work agenda 

items and assigning leads for the 2024 sunset reviews. The HS will complete petition sufficiency 

for peroxylactic acid (“PLA”) on its next call. The HS also discussed the public comment 

procedures that the PDS will be reviewing, as well as sanitizers, and will discuss how to move 

forward given the complexity of the topic. 

• Additional Items. A member mentioned receiving a request to sign a petition regarding NOSB 

recommendations that have not been implemented. The NOSB expressed public support as a group at 

the Spring meeting, and he asked if others had received the same request to sign on as an individual.

• The meeting was adjourned

Previous ES Notes

NOSB Work Agenda

Future call schedule: All calls 4:00 ET/1:00 PT 3rd Tuesday except where noted

April 19, 2021 - Monday

May 18, 2021

June 15, 2021

July 20, 2021

August 17, 2021

September 21, 2021

October 19, 2021

November 16, 2021

December 21, 2021
Fall 2021 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment ~May 14, 2021

NOSB Request for TRs for 2024 sunset materials Jun 18, 2021

NOP - Draft Fall 2020 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Jul 30, 2021

NOSB - Fall 2021 proposals due to NOP Aug 13, 2021

NOP - Post proposals On or before Sep 1, 2021

Discuss/finalize work agendas on ES call Sep 21, 2021

Public comment closes Sep 30, 2021

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB ~Oct 4, 2021

Public comment webinars Oct 12 & 14, 2021

Fall 2021 NOSB meeting - Sacramento, CA Oct 19 - 21, 2021

Final recommendations due Nov 19, 2021
Note: Subcommittee notes may include preliminary discussions regarding substances considered for addition to or removal from the 

National List. They do not represent official National Organic Program (NOP) policy/regulations or NOSB recommendations. Proposals 

must be voted on by the full Board, to become recommendations to the USDA. Please see the NOP website for official NOP policy, 

regulations, and status of substances used in organic production and handling.

National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) 

Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Notes and

Summary of NOSB Subcommittee Activities 

Monday, April 19, 2021, 4:00 pm ET 

Attending: Mindee Jeffery (MJ), NOSB Secretary & PDS Chair; Nate Powell-Palm (NPP); NOSB Vice Chair & CACS 

Chair; Jerry D’Amore (JD), Handling Chair; Wood Turner (WT), Materials Chair; Logan Petrey (LP)

Absent: Steve Ela (SE), NOSB Chair; Kim Huseman (KH), Livestock Chair; Rick Greenwood (RG), Crops Chair

Staff: Jennifer Tucker (JT); Erin Healy (EH); Michelle Arsenault (MA); Jared Clark (JC); Devon Pattillo (DP) 

Agenda

• Approve notes of March 16, 2021

• Chairs Report - NPP for SE

o NOSB April 2021 meeting

o Coffee with the Board - nominations outreach

o Fall meeting invitations

• NOP news and update - JT

o Call for nominations - outreach efforts

o Hydroponics lawsuit outcome

o Update on other rulemaking

o Human Capital project - call for proposals update

o Letter writing campaigns

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Spring 2021 meeting prep questions, needs?

o Upcoming NOSB meetings

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Handling (HS) - JD

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP

o Crops (CS) - WT for RG

o Livestock (LS) - NPP for KH

• Additional Items

• Adjourn

Discussion 

• Notes of March 16, 2021 were accepted as written

• Chairs Report – NPP for SE

o NOSB April 2021 meeting. The Vice Chair noted that the public comment webinars begin

Tuesday, April 20.

o Coffee with the Board is a Zoom event scheduled for May 4 meant to support outreach for NOSB

nominations. The NOP will send an Organic Insider notice next week.

o Fall meeting invitations. The Fall meeting is scheduled for the week of October 18, 2021

tentatively in Sacramento, CA.

• NOP news and update – JT

o Call for nominations. Outreach efforts are underway, including “Coffee with the Board”, and the

NOSB members are encouraged to reach out to their stakeholders. The NOP noted that the

USDA is committed to equity issues. The group discussed the challenges to create a more
diverse Board, including such things as institutional barriers, diversity of the agriculture 

community in general, and the time commitment. Members of the Policy Development 

Subcommittee will discuss outreach and ways to expand diversity. 

o Hydroponics lawsuit. The Court decided in favor of the USDA, and the motion to dismiss the 

lawsuit was upheld. Many in the organic community remain interested in this topic and in 

establishing more specific standards for container systems. The Accredited Certifiers Association 

is one group compiling a list of current issues related to this topic. NOP will be briefing the 

Administration on this topic in the coming weeks. 

o Update on other rulemaking. 

 Origin of Livestock (OOL) Notice of proposed rule with request for comments is at the 

Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Once it is approved, it will be published in the 

Federal Register. 

 Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) – the NOP is writing the final rule now.

 Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) is in litigation. 

 A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) for inerts is underway. The writing is 

challenging, because NOP wants to focus on the key issues while providing enough 

history as background. There is strong support for this project.

 Wild Caught Fish Report for Congress is in development. The NOP will include a brief 

update about this at the NOSB meeting next week. 

o Human Capital project - call for proposals update. Based on work the NOSB has done as well as 

public comments, the NOP will issue a call for proposals soon. There will be a 60-day response 

period. The NOP intends on granting multiple awards to non-profit institutions, with an 

emphasis on equity and diversity. 

o Letter writing campaigns. The NOP considers comments in several different ways. Letters to the 

NOSB arrive as either unique responses or a letter writing campaign. Comments that are part of 

a letter writing campaign are often considered to be the equivalent of one unique comment, 

with a note about the number of people who took the time to submit a comment. Letters sent 

directly to the Secretary enter the Controlled Correspondence System and receive a response. 

Email campaigns sent directly to the Deputy Administrator’s email is the least effective outlet

for submitting comments. A member added some thoughts about how to make the process 

more efficient for all involved. 

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update – MA

o Spring 2021 meeting prep. The public comment webinars are being held this week on April 20 

and 25. NOP will send the schedule of commenters soon. 

o Upcoming NOSB meetings. The Fall 2021 NOSB meeting is tentatively scheduled for Sacramento, 

CA October 19 - 21, 2021. The Spring 2022 meeting is scheduled for Crystal City, VA the week of 

April 26, 2022.

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Handling (HS) – JD. The Handling Subcommittee is presenting one proposal (ion exchange 

filtration), two discussion documents (zein and fish oil), and 15 sunset substances at the Spring 

2021 meeting. 

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) – WT. The Materials Subcommittee discussed the public 

comment summaries during the last call. At the Spring meeting, the MS will present two 

discussion documents; one for the NOSB Research Priorities, and one on Excluded Methods. 

NIFA, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, will present an update at the NOSB meeting 

next week, on its Research Priorities.

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ . The PDS plans to assess the public comment process and may 

develop a discussion document for the Fall meeting. The PDS also discussed several ways to 

illuminate their process for potential applicants, such as shadowing, or having members at large. 

NOP will seek clarification from the USDA Committee Management Officer about these 

suggestions. 
o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) – NPP. The CACS met briefly last week to 

discuss public comments. The proposal and discussion document on the two Human Capital 

projects elicited robust discussion and comments. 

o Crops (CS) – WT. Biochar. On the last call, Crops found the TR for biochar sufficient and will 

proceed to a proposal. The Subcommittee is looking forward to public comment and what will 

likely be a vigorous conversation at the Fall meeting. 

o Livestock (LS) - NPP. On its last call, the LS found the TR for activated charcoal sufficient. The 

members also prepped for the Spring meeting by discussing comments for a couple sunset

substances including mineral oil and calcium borogluconate. 

• Additional Items. 

o On Wednesday, Mae Wu, Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) Deputy Administrator, will 

deliver welcoming remarks to the NOSB. 

• The meeting was adjourned

Previous ES Notes

NOSB Work Agenda

Future call schedule: All calls 4:00 ET/1:00 PT 3rd Tuesday except where noted

March 16, 2021

April 19, 2021 - Monday

May 18, 2021

June 15, 2021

July 20, 2021

August 17, 2021

September 21, 2021

October 19, 2021

November 16, 2021

December 21, 2021

Spring 2021 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment Feb 18, 2021

NOSB - Spring 2021 proposals due to NOP Feb 18, 2021

New NOSB member training Feb 3-5, 2021

NOP - Draft Spring 2021 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Feb 2, 2021

NOP - Post proposals Mar 3, 2021

Public comment closes Apr 1, 2021

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB Apr 6, 2021

Public comment webinars Apr 20 & 22, 2021

Spring 2021 NOSB meeting - Virtual Apr 28 - 30, 2021
Fall 2021 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment ~May 14, 2021

NOSB Request for TRs for 2024 sunset materials Jun 18, 2021

NOP - Draft Fall 2020 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Jul 30, 2021

NOSB - Fall 2021 proposals due to NOP Aug 13, 2021

NOP - Post proposals On or before Sep 1, 2021

Discuss/finalize work agendas on ES call Sep 21, 2021

Public comment closes Sep 30, 2021

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB ~Oct 4, 2021

Public comment webinars Oct 12 & 14, 2021

Fall 2021 NOSB meeting - Sacramento, CA Oct 19 - 21, 2021
Note: Subcommittee notes may include preliminary discussions regarding substances considered for addition to or removal from the 

National List. They do not represent official National Organic Program (NOP) policy/regulations or NOSB recommendations. Proposals 

must be voted on by the full Board, to become recommendations to the USDA. Please see the NOP website for official NOP policy, 

regulations, and status of substances used in organic production and handling.

National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) 

Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Notes and

Summary of NOSB Subcommittee Activities

Tuesday, March 16, 2021, 4:00 pm ET

Attending: Steve Ela (SE), NOSB Chair; Mindee Jeffery (MJ), NOSB Secretary & PDS Chair; Rick Greenwood (RG), 

Crops Chair; Jerry D’Amore (JD), Handling Chair; Kim Huseman (KH), Livestock Chair; Wood Turner (WT), 

Materials Chair; Brian Caldwell (BC) - observer

Absent: Nate Powell-Palm (NPP); NOSB Vice Chair & CACS Chair

Staff: Jennifer Tucker (JT); Erin Healy (EH); Michelle Arsenault (MA); Jared Clark (JC); Dave Glasgow (DG)

Agenda

• Approve notes of February 16, 2021 

• Chairs Report - SE

o April 2021 meeting (Four voting items)

o Public comments

o Reminder to focus on and summarize comments for the substances you are lead on

o 2024 sunsets TR requests

• NOP news and update - JT

o List of recommendations not implemented (e.g. Excluded Methods - next steps and path 

forward)

o Update on priorities for Organic under new Administration

o Update on current rulemaking (OLPP, OOL, SOE)

o Call for nominations - outreach

o NOP Enforcement update

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Meeting prep/comment webinars

o Spring Meeting timeline 

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Livestock (LS) - KH

o Handling (HS) - JD

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ 

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - SE for NPP

o Crops (CS) - RG 

• Additional Items

• Adjourn

Discussion

• Notes of February 16, 2021 were accepted as written

• Chairs Report - SE

o April 2021 meeting. 

 There are four voting items for the Spring meeting. 

 Public comment closes April 5. 

 The Chair reminded members to focus on comments for the substances on which they 

are lead, for presentation at the Spring meeting. Members are invited to ask questions 

of commenters. 
 2024 sunsets TR requests. The Subcommittees will begin reviews for TR needs after the 

Spring meeting.

 The NOSB noted some recent issues with TRs that were lacking information and not well 

researched, which creates extra work for both the NOP and NOSB. The NOP is reviewing 

the current process to seek a solution. 

• NOP news and update - JT

o Update on current rulemaking (OLPP, OOL, SOE). 

 The NOP responded to a public letter regarding the Origin of Livestock rule, reaffirming 

the USDAs current plan to do a second proposed rule, which will include a public 

comment period.

 The NOP expects the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule to be in clearance

at the USDA this fall.

 Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) is still in litigation, and a temporary stay 

was ordered while discussions are underway. 

o Update on priorities for the Organic Program under new Administration. Accreditation and 

compliance continue to be a priority, along with three rulemaking actions, and an Advance 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) for inerts. 

o Call for nominations - outreach. The announcement for NOSB nominations is in clearance and 

should be posted by early April. The NOSB is seeking to fill four seats in January 2022. The NOP 

is expanding outreach to underserved communities, and the NOSB is considering hosting an 

informal webinar so interested parties can ask questions of current and past Board members. 

The group discussed some ideas, such as perhaps holding two sessions in May, with past and 

present NOSB members. The NOP and NOSB Chair will discuss this further. 

o NOP enforcement update. Compliance & Enforcement (C & E) is focusing on the India 

equivalency arrangement that was recently terminated. NOP will be hosting a webinar at the

end of March to provide guidance to certifiers and operations. 

o A fraud case regarding grain was recently settled and the person responsible for the fraud 

received a 51-month prison sentence. 

o List of recommendations not implemented (e.g. Excluded Methods) - next steps and path 

forward). 

 NOP has acted on ~90% of NOSB recommendations. 

 There are various reasons that some recommendations have not been implemented. 

The primary constraint given current staffing levels is the rulemaking pipeline. Most 

significant rules involve many layers of review and approval by USDA departments as 

well as other Government agencies. Additionally, every administration chooses its 

priorities on which to focus, and must also consider statutory authority.

 When rules have broad support, it is more likely they will be implemented. For example, 

SOE and OOL both have broad support. 

 Some examples of NOSB recommendations that have not been implemented for various 

reasons, include pet food, apiculture, aquaculture, and mushroom standards. 

Excluded Methods. Excluded Methods is already an important part of the organic 

regulations. The NOP encouraged the NOSB to consider several questions regarding this 

work agenda item, such as: What is the problem that needs solving? What is the goal of 

the project? Would it require guidance or a change in OFPA? What are the impacts with 

respect to definitions held by other agencies and departments? One NOSB member

noted that the NOSB is interested in being proactive and not reactive, for example,

addressing a rapidly evolving field such as synthetic biology as it expands into food 

processing and the organic industry. The Materials Subcommittee, who is lead on the 

excluded methods project, feels that this would aid in promoting confidence in the 

organic seal. 
 The NOP is hosting a townhall on wild caught fish later this week. After the webinar the 

NOP will summarize feedback for Congress. 

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Meeting prep/comment webinars. See dates below. The NOSB will have two practice webinars 

on April 15 and 16.

o Spring Meeting timeline. See dates below

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Livestock (LS) - KH. The Livestock Subcommittee met today and talked about mineral oil and 

propylene glycol. Members are preparing for the Spring NOSB meeting and will be reviewing 

the next set of sunsets (for 2024).

o Handling (HS) - JD. Handling is well positioned for the Spring meeting, and will present two

proposals and three discussion documents. The HS did not find the technical report (TR) for 

cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) sufficient, and members also proposed that the NOSB review the 

current templates for TRs and proposals to suggest improvements. 

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT. The Materials Subcommittee is working on a 

document on excluded methods. The lead reviewer and NOP will discuss the document to focus 

the direction. The MS Chair discussed the Research Priorities document with a new member to 

gain a broader perspective. A representative from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture 

(NIFA) will present at the April NOSB meeting, and the MS Chair will connect with them prior to 

the presentation. The Materials Subcommittee is also considering the suggestion by the 

Handling Subcommittee to update the TR and proposal templates. 

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ. The PDS cancelled its last call since there are no documents for 

the Spring meeting. The Subcommittee is looking at several projects for the Fall 2021 meeting, 

including a review of the list of past recommendations, exit interviews, and an update to the 

member guide. 

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - SE for NPP. The CACS cancelled the last call 

because both of the documents on human capital have been voted on and are ready for the 

Spring meeting. 

o Crops (CS) - RG. The CS is prepared for the Spring NOSB meeting, so the last call was cancelled. 

The CS is looking forward to voting on paper pots at the upcoming meeting. 

• Additional Items.

o The HS would like extra time at the Spring meeting to discuss Carrageenan. 

o The CACS thinks that there will be a robust conversation on the two human capital documents.

• The meeting was adjourned

Previous ES Notes

NOSB Work Agenda

Future call schedule: All calls 4:00 ET/1:00 PT 3rd Tuesday except where noted

February 16, 2021

March 16, 2021

April 19, 2021 - Monday

May 18, 2021

June 15, 2021

July 20, 2021

August 17, 2021

September 21, 2021

October 19, 2021

November 16, 2021

December 21, 2021
Spring 2021 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment Feb 18, 2021

NOSB - Spring 2021 proposals due to NOP Feb 18, 2021

New NOSB member training Feb 3-5, 2021

NOP - Draft Spring 2021 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Feb 2, 2021

NOP - Post proposals Mar 3, 2021

Public comment closes Apr 1, 2021

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB Apr 6, 2021

Public comment webinars Apr 20 & 22, 2021

Spring 2021 NOSB meeting - Virtual Apr 28 - 30, 2021

Fall 2021 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment ~May 14, 2021

NOSB Request for TRs for 2024 sunset materials Jun 18, 2021

NOP - Draft Fall 2020 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Jul 30, 2021

NOSB - Fall 2021 proposals due to NOP Aug 13, 2021

NOP - Post proposals On or before Sep 1, 2021

Discuss/finalize work agendas on ES call Sep 21, 2021

Public comment closes Sep 30, 2021

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB ~Oct 4, 2021

Public comment webinars Oct 12 & 14, 2021

Fall 2021 NOSB meeting - Sacramento, CA Oct 19 - 21, 2021
Note: Subcommittee notes may include preliminary discussions regarding substances considered for addition to or removal from the 

National List. They do not represent official National Organic Program (NOP) policy/regulations or NOSB recommendations. Proposals 

must be voted on by the full Board, to become recommendations to the USDA. Please see the NOP website for official NOP policy, 

regulations, and status of substances used in organic production and handling.

National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) 

Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Notes and

Summary of NOSB Subcommittee Activities 

Tuesday, February 16, 2021, 4:00 pm ET 

Attending: Steve Ela (SE), NOSB Chair; Nate Powell-Palm (NPP); NOSB Vice Chair & CACS Chair; Mindee Jeffery 

(MJ), NOSB Secretary & PDS Chair; Rick Greenwood (RG), Crops Chair; Jerry D’Amore (JD), Handling Chair; Kim

Huseman (KH), Livestock Chair; Kyla Smith (LP) - observer 

Absent: Wood Turner (WT), Materials Chair

Staff: Jennifer Tucker (JT); Erin Healy (EH); Michelle Arsenault (MA); Jared Clark (JC); Dave Glasgow (DG)

Agenda

• Approve notes of January 19, 2021

• Chairs Report - SE

• NOP news and update - JT

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

• Spring Meeting timeline

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Crops (CS) - RG

o Livestock (LS) - KH

o Handling (HS) - JD

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP

• Additional Items

• Adjourn

Discussion 

• Notes of January 19, 2021 were accepted as written.

• Chairs Report - SE

o NOSB meeting update: The NOSB Chair reminded the Executive team of the impending proposal

deadline of February 18, 2021. This early deadline will allow the NOP to prepare the documents

for web posting, so the public has a 30-day comment period.

o Board/Subcomm call agenda and management. The Chair asked that Subcommittee Chairs strive

to send call agendas out the Friday before the meeting, to give folks enough time to review any

documents and provide constructive feedback.

o April Executive call was rescheduled for Monday, April 19 because it conflicts with the public

comment webinar.

• NOP news and update - JT

o Update on Human Capital project. NOP has compiled several projects for possible multi-award

cooperative agreements. It is likely the call for proposals will move forward after the Spring

NOSB meeting, and after the NOSB has received feedback from the public.

o Rulemaking update:

 Origin of Livestock (OOL). The NOP responded to a letter from stakeholders reaffirming

the USDAs current plan to do a second proposed rule. This proposed path forward will

be held until the new Secretary is appointed.
 Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE). The NOP has analyzed all the comments and 

is working on the rule. 

 Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP). NOP cannot comment on ongoing 

litigation. 

 National List. There are a couple of rules underway that address NOSB 

recommendations for National List materials, including fatty alcohols, collagen gel, 

oxalic acid, and pullulan. 

 A rule addressing NOSB recommendations from the Fall 2020 for several sunset 

removals is in development. 

 The NOP noted that clearance times vary depending on the complexity of a rule. For 

example, sunset renewals move more quickly than sunset removals, and other 

rulemaking generally takes longer and may have to go through multiple levels of 

approval both within the USDA and other agencies. 

o New Administration updates. The new deputy undersecretary for the Marketing and Regulatory 

Program (MRP) is Mae Wu. The USDA Secretary will likely be confirmed in the coming weeks. 

There are four key goals for the new administration: Covid-19/Pandemic relief, economic 

recovery, climate change, and racial equality.

o National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) update at the Spring NOSB meeting. The NOSB 

is interested in hearing an update from NIFA about organic research. The NOP will identify a 

representative and will send invitation. 

o Rule writing training for NOSB members? Members are interested in having a training or tutorial 

about rule writing best practices, to aid proposal writing and ultimately rule writing. The NOP 

supports the idea and also noted that because the program is required to write an independent 

analysis, and include an economic analysis, training could solve some challenges and not others, 

with regard to the rule making process. 

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o April NOSB meeting logistics. Final recommendations are due February 18. The NOP will send 

out the list and instructions soon for NOSB members to identify any conflicts of interest. The 

next milestone will be the comment webinars on April 20 & 22. 

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Crops (CS) - RG. Crops met earlier today and during the call voted on the proposal for biobased 

mulch film and the discussion document for ammonia extract. There is some indication from the 

community that there are potential fraud issues associated with ammonia extract especially in 

mixed operations. Two sunset substances under initial review at the spring 2021 meeting may 

garner attention - coppers and EPA List 3 inerts. 

o Livestock (LS) - KH. The petition for chitosan is pending, and the LS is waiting for a response from 

the petitioner. The Crops Subcommittee also has a chitosan petition from the same petitioner, 

and LS is coordinating with them to set a deadline for response so they can move forward. The 

LS completed its sunset reviews and is working on three materials that seem to have overlap

with electrolytes: calcium borogluconate, calcium propionate, and nutritive supplements. The LS 

Chair indicated that there doesn’t seem to be inconsistency among these listings as far as 

certifiers are concerned. 

o Handling (HS) - JD. The HS Chair noted the importance of being timely with agendas and 

documents to allow members enough time to prepare before a call. The HS Subcommittee

discussed four items during its call earlier today: Sunset review of glucono-delta lactone (GDL), a 

zein, fish oil, and ion exchange. There are twelve sunset rev none seemed too concerning. 

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT. The MS has two documents completed and ready for 

the Spring meeting: Research Priorities and Excluded Methods.

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ. The PDS has submitted a work agenda request for a discussion 

document to look at the process for public comment to make sure it is fair and transparent. The 

PDS is also discussing an exit survey for members, and updates to the member guide. The 
Executive committee approved the request to review the process for public comment and will 

forward the request to the NOP. Any guidance that results from this project would likely be 

added to the PPM. 

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP. The CACS has two documents as part of 

the Human Capital Project for the Spring meeting: One on Inspector mentorship/ 

apprenticeship/consistency and one on support for the NOSB. 

• Additional Items. None.

• The meeting was adjourned

Previous ES Notes

NOSB Work Agenda

Future call schedule: All calls 4:00 ET/1:00 PT 3rd Tuesday except where noted

January 19, 2021

February 16, 2021

March 16, 2021

April 19, 2021 - Monday

May 18, 2021

June 15, 2021

July 20, 2021

August 17, 2021

September 21, 2021

October 19, 2021

November 16, 2021

December 21, 2021

Spring 2021 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment Feb 18, 2021

NOSB - Spring 2021 proposals due to NOP Feb 18, 2021

New NOSB member training Feb 3-5, 2021

NOP - Draft Spring 2021 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Feb 2, 2021

NOP - Post proposals Mar 3, 2021

Public comment closes Apr 1, 2021

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB Apr 6, 2021

Public comment webinars Apr 20 & 22, 2021

Spring 2021 NOSB meeting - Virtual Apr 28 - 30, 2021
Note: Subcommittee notes may include preliminary discussions regarding substances considered for addition to or removal from the 

National List. They do not represent official National Organic Program (NOP) policy/regulations or NOSB recommendations. Proposals 

must be voted on by the full Board, to become recommendations to the USDA. Please see the NOP website for official NOP policy, 

regulations, and status of substances used in organic production and handling.

National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) 

Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Notes and

Summary of NOSB Subcommittee Activities

Tuesday, January 19, 2021, 4:00 pm ET

Attending: Steve Ela (SE), NOSB Chair; Nate Powell-Palm (NPP); NOSB Vice Chair & CACS Chair; Mindee Jeffery 

(MJ), NOSB Secretary & PDS Chair; Rick Greenwood (RG), Crops Chair; Jerry D’Amore (JD), Handling Chair; Kim

Huseman (KH), Livestock Chair; Wood Turner (WT), Materials Chair; Scott Rice (SR); Logan Petrey (LP) - observer; 

Amy Bruch (AB) - observer

Absent: None

Staff: Jennifer Tucker (JT); Erin Healy (EH); Michelle Arsenault (MA); Jared Clark (JC)

Agenda

• Approve notes of December 15, 2020

• Chairs Report - SE

o Spring meeting plans - virtual

o New member training, mentors 

o Meet and Greet Zoom call - January 22, 2021

o Reminder about proposal deadline - February 18, 2021

• NOP news and update - JT

o Welcome Erin Healy - Acting Director, Standards

o Update on rulemaking (Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE), Organic Livestock and Poultry 

Practices (OLPP), Origin of Livestock (OOL)

o Updates about new administration priorities

o Cost Share

o Update on Human Capital Management project

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

• Spring Meeting timeline

o Next round of sunset reviews (2024)

o Proposal deadline - Tracking sheet sent Jan. 6

o Comment period

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP.

o Crops (CS) - RG. 

o Livestock (LS) - KH.

o Handling (HS) - JD. 

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT.

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ. Work agenda request on public comment process.

• Additional Items

• Adjourn

Discussion

• Notes of December 15, 2020 notes were approved as written.

• Chairs Report - SE

o Spring meeting plans. The NOSB supports meeting virtually in April due to ongoing travel 

restrictions. A member noted that some stakeholders expressed support for virtual meetings 
and found it increased participation. The NOSB is interested in moving to a hybrid model of 

meeting in person and broadcasting live.

o New member training, mentors. New member training is scheduled for three days in early 

February. The NOSB Chair will assign mentors soon. 

o Meet and Greet Zoom call - January 22, 2021. All members, outgoing and incoming, are

welcome to join to meet each other. 

o Proposal deadline. Each Subcommittee is working through its work agenda and reviews for the 

fall meeting, which are due to NOP February 18, 2021.

• NOP news and update - JT

o The NOP introduced and welcomed Erin Healy - Acting Director for the Standards Division. Erin 

will be with NOP until at least April.

o Update on rulemaking. NOP key priorities:

 Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE). NOP is currently analyzing public comments.

 Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP). The OLPP rule is currently in the court 

system and NOP has no update at this time. 

 Origin of Livestock (OOL). NOP plans to discuss this rule and the options with the new 

Administration.

o New administration priorities. Today is the last day of the current administration, and the new 

administration begins tomorrow. The Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) is expecting a 

new Deputy Undersecretary soon. NOP noted that non-Senate-confirmed positions are filled 

more quickly than positions that need to be confirmed. 

o Cost Share. The incoming administration is aware of the concerns from industry/stakeholders

about the reduction in the cost-share funding. 

o Update on Human Capital Management project. The NOP received increased funding in the 

most recent budget appropriation, and is developing a paper with possible ideas for moving 

forward with the human capital project. The NOP should have more information for the next 

NOSB Executive Team call. 

• Advisory Board Specialist (ABS) update - MA

o Spring meeting timeline. See table below. The two major impending milestones are the proposal 

due date (February 18) and the Spring meeting (April 28 - 30, 2021).

o Next round of sunset reviews. The NOP will compile the list of sunsets due to sunset in 2024, so 

the Subcommittees can determine the need for technical reports (TRs).

o Proposal deadline. The NOP sent a tracking sheet to the Subcommittee Chairs on January 6 to 

help track which proposals have been completed and submitted as we approach the Spring 

deadline. 

• Subcommittee Reports/Updates (5 minutes each)

o Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification (CACS) - NPP. The CACS is working on two projects as 

part of the Human Capital Management work agenda item: Support personal for NOSB 

members; and Inspector Recruitment and Retention. 

o Crops (CS) - RG. The Crops Subcommittee has had a full agenda on each call, and the Chair 

praised members for having candid, thorough, discussions. The CS is working through sunset 

reviews and discussed biodegradable biobased mulch film (BBMF) and its relationship to plastic.

The CS finalized the proposal for paper pots for discussion at the Spring 2021 meeting, and 

chose to defer several projects to the Fall 2021 meeting while waiting for technical reports or 

additional information from the petitioner. Those projects include biochar, hydronium, chitosan, 

and ammonia extract. 

o Livestock (LS) - KH. On the most recent call, the LS finalized two sunset reviews, and the research 

priorities, which will be forwarded to the Materials Subcommittee soon. The LS also discussed 

two sunset substances under review for the first time - calcium borogluconate and calcium 

propionate. The NOP clarified questions as to why these two substances are listed individually 
and are not covered under the listing for electrolytes: Both have restricted use while

electrolytes are used more broadly. 

o Handling (HS) - SE for JD. The Handling Subcommittee discussed sunset reviews on today’s call

and is working on several petitions and proposals, including cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), zein, 

and ion exchange filtration. The research priorities were completed and forwarded to the 

Materials Subcommittee. All other sunset reviews have been scheduled for discussion. 

o Materials/GMO ad hoc (MS/GMO) - WT. The MS will finalize the research priorities’ discussion 

document once it receives the lists from the other Subcommittees, and is also working on the 

next iteration of the excluded methods document. The MS is also waiting for the technical 

report (TR) for tall oil. Tall oil was sent to the Materials Subcommittee for review rather than the 

CS, HS, or LS since it cuts across all Subcommittees and is petitioned as an inert. 

o Policy Development (PDS) - MJ. The PDS intends on submitting a work agenda request to assess 

the public comment process. Specifically, written comments submitted after the deadline, and 

requests from oral commenters to be placed in a specific speaking order. The Board is seeking 

fairness for all commenters. NOP finalized the member guide and resent it to the PDS, who may 

review it again. The PDS is also considering developing an exit surveys for outgoing NOSB 

members. NOP will contact the USDA’s Committee Management Officer (CMO) to ask if other 

Boards use/have an exit survey. 

• Additional Items. The NOSB Chair thanked the outgoing NOSB members for their service and mentioned 

the transition of their work agenda items to remaining members. 

• The meeting was adjourned.

Previous ES Notes

NOSB Work Agenda

Future call schedule: All calls 4:00 ET/1:00 PT 3rd Tuesday

December 15, 2020

January 19, 2021

February 16, 2021

March 16, 2021

April 20, 2021 - public comment webinar

May 18, 2021

June 15, 2021

July 20, 2021

August 17, 2021

September 21, 2021

October 19, 2021

November 16, 2021

December 21, 2021

Spring 2021 Milestones Target dates (tentative)

NOP - Publish FRN, Open public comment Nov 15, 2020

NOSB - Spring 2021 proposals due to NOP Feb 18, 2021

New NOSB member training TBD

NOP - Draft Spring 2021 NOSB meeting tentative agenda Feb 2, 2021
NOP - Post proposals Mar 3, 2021

Public comment closes Apr 1, 2021

NOP - Send compiled public comments to NOSB Apr 6, 2021

Public comment webinars Apr 20 & 22, 2021

Spring 2021 NOSB meeting - Crystal City, VA Apr 28 - 30, 2021