NIFA Organic 

Programs 

Update 

Mat. Ngouajio 

Steve Smith 

Neerja Tyagi 

NIFA 

NOSB Meeting 4 -28-2021 
 

31% sales 

17% # farms 

9% Cert. land 

Increase from 2016 

USDA NASS, 2019 Organic Survey (2017 Census of Agriculture) 
Similar trends observed in Europe 

https://gro-intelligence.com/insights/articles/organic-agriculture-booming-in-europe 
 

 

 

• “Despite robust consumer demand, however, there is still limited 

research, education programs, and extension resources that 

support organic systems” (NSAC). 

• Limited investment in R&D 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strong investments in research and innovation is critical to the 

growth of the organic sector 

Two USDA-NIFA programs have helped fill the gap by stimulating 

cutting-edge research to address critical challenges of the organic 

industry. 

• The Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) 

• The Organic Transitions (ORG) 

While the focus of this presentation is on these two programs, 

there are many other NIFA programs that fund organic 

agriculture projects. 

• Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) 

• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) 

• Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program 

(BFRDP) 

• Hatch program 
 

Many other USDA agencies make 

significant investments in organic 

agriculture either directly or through 

funding opportunities. 

• Agriculture Research Service (ARS) 

• Economic Research Service (ERS) 

• Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) 

• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 

• National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) 

• National Agricultural Library (NAL) 

• .... 
Challenges of the Organic Industry 

True partnership in issue 

identification 

Challenges 

Issues span the entire supply chain from “farm to fork” 

• Farm bill 

• National surveys 

• Listening sessions 

• Meetings 

• White paper 

• Inputs 

OFRF 

NOSB 

ARS 

Consumers 

UCS 

NSAC 

Farmers 

ERS 

Processors 

Congress 

eOrganic 

NGOs 

Private sector 

OTA, TOC, 
Action by the Industry 

• Issue 

identification 

• Priority setting 

• Work with USDA 

• Work with 

congress 

OFRF 

NOSB 

ARS 

Consumers 

UCS 

NSAC 

Farmers 

ERS 

Processors 

Congress 

eOrganic 

NGOs 

Private sector 

OTA, TOC, 

Goal: Secure funding for Research, 

Education, and Extension 
 

0 

5 

10 

15 

20 

25 

30 

35 

40 

45 

50 

Funds Awarded (Million) 

Organic Agriculture Research and 

Extension Initiative 

Integrated Organic Programs 

Integrated Organic and Water Quality 

Program 

Funding to states by year 

Action by Congress 

OREI funding through multiple Farm Bills 
Federal Agencies 

NIFA Priorities 

RFA Priorities 

Action by NIFA 

 Industry priorities translated into 

Request For Applications (RFA) 

 Rigorous panel review process 

 Scientific merit used for award 

selection 

 Post-award management 
Federal Agencies 

NIFA Priorities 

RFA Priorities 

Action by NIFA 

 NOSB priorities are our priorities 

 They are all included in our 

RFAs 

 Organic Transitions program 

 OREI program 

 Direct links are included in the 

RFAs 

 They are used by applicants to 

establish project relevance 
ORG and OREI # of proposals by year 

ORG and OREI proposals by year 

160 

Year 

Declined 

Funded 

*

Number of proposals140 

120 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

* OREI Not offered in 2013 
ORG and OREI cumulative # of proposals by year 

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

1000 

1200 

1400 

1600 

1800 

Number of proposals 

ORG and OREI cummulative proposals by year 

Declined 

Funded 

1,713 

total 

356 

funded 

Year 

Note: Resubmissions included in the count 
 

18% 

27% 

18% 

33% 29% 

ORG and OREI Success Rate 

17% 

10% 10% 

18% 18% 16% 

21% 20% 

25% 

13% 13% 

25% 

30% 

ORG and OREI Success Rate 

70% 

80% 

Success rate (24% AVG) 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 

20% 

10% 

75% 

38% 

0% 

Success (%) 

Year 
 

ORG & OREI # of proposals submitted by state 

2001-2020 

CA 

AZ 

NV 

OR 

WA 

MT 

ID 

WY 

UT 

CO 

NM 

OK 

TX 

KS 

NE 

MN 

SD 

ND 

MO 

IA 

AR 

LA 

MS AL

GA 

FL 

SC 

KY 

TN 

NC 

VA

WV 

IL 

IN 

OH 

PA 

ME 

NY 

NJ 

DE 

MD 

VT NH 

MA 

CT 

RI 

HI 

AK 

PR 

WI 

MI 

DC 

GU 

*Continuations are counted as 1 

0 

0 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

70 

80 

90 

100 
 

ORG & OREI # of proposals funded by state 

2001-2020 

CA 

AZ 

NV 

OR 

WA 

MT 

ID 

WY 

UT CO 

NM 

OK 

TX 

KS 

NE 

MN 

SD 

ND 

MO 

IA 

AR 

LA 

MS AL

GA 

FL 

SC 

KY 

TN 

NC 

VA

WV IL IN OH 

PA 

ME 

NY 

NJ 

DE 

MD 

VT NH 

MA 

CT 

RI 

HI 

AK 

PR 

WI 

MI 

16 

12 

8 

4 

0 

20+ DC 

GU 

10-19 

1-9 

0 

*Continuations are counted as 1 

20 

24 

28 

32 

36 
Good News! 

• Funding has 

improved for: 

– Animal Systems 

Proposals 

– Small and Minority 

Serving Institutions 

(MSI) 

– Southern Region 

40% 

35% 

30% 

25% 

20% 

15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

• Success rate is up for 

– Seeds and Breeds 

proposals 

Success Rate 

 

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 

Success Rate Seed and Breed Proposals 

Success Rate all OREI Proposals 
 

 

OREI budget increase is a 

big win for the industry 

Great 

opportunity to 

stimulate 

research and 

innovation 

and to tackle 

big challenges 
Future Perspective 

Promote 

• Promote 

Research and 

Innovation 

01 

Explore 

• Explore New 

Extension 

Opportunities 

02 

Train 

• Train the next 

Generation of 

Organic Farmers 

and Leaders 

03 
 

 

 Discover new frontiers Future Perspective 

• Develop smart tools for use by

farmers and processors

• Seeds, Natural substances etc. 

• Develop smart tools for 

enforcement agents to support

“Organic Integrity” 

• Better understand the human 

dimension of organic

agriculture 

• Make new knowledge available

and accessible to farmers 

• Etc. 
 

 

 

 

NIFA ORGANIC PROGRAMS TEAM 

Programmatic Contacts: 

Dr. Mathieu Ngouajio 

National Science Liaison 

Plant Systems-Production Division, Institute of Food 

Production and Sustainability 

Telephone: (202) 570-1915 

E-mail: mathieu.ngouajio@usda.gov 

Dr. Steve Smith 

National Program Leader 

Animal Systems Division, Institute of Food Production 

and Sustainability 

Telephone: (202) 445-5480 

E-mail: steven.i.smith@usda.gov 

Dr. Neerja Tyagi 

Program Specialist 

Plant Systems-Production Division, Institute of Food 

Production and Sustainability 

E-mail: neerja.tyagi1@usda.gov 

Division Directors: 

Dr. John Erickson 

National Program Leader 

Acting Division Director, Plant Systems Production 

USDA NIFA 

Institute of Food Production and Sustainability 

Phone: .. 

Email: John.Erickson@usda.gov 

Dr. Deb Hamernik 

Deputy Director, Institute of Food Production & 

Sustainability (IFPS) 

Director, Division of Animal Systems 

USDA NIFA 

Kansas City, MO 

USDA mobile: (816)868-8664 

Email: Debora.Hamernik@usda.gov