Revised: 4/1/2021 – subject to change

National Organic Standards Board Meeting Agenda TENTATIVE

April 20 & 22 and April 28 - 30, 2021 

Virtual via Zoom. All times Eastern.

Schedule at a Glance:

TUE APR 20

& 

THU APR 22

WEDNESDAY

APR 28

THURSDAY

APR 29

FRIDAY 

APR 30

AFTERNOON

- Public 

comment 

webinar(s)

- Call to Order

- Agenda Overview

- Introductions 

- Secretary’s report

- NOSB report

- USDA/NOP update

- NIFA Update

- Livestock 

 Subcommittee (LS)

- Materials 

 Subcommittee (MS)

- Compliance, 

 Accreditation, & 

 Certification 

 Subcommittee (CACS)

- Handling 

 Subcommittee (HS)

- Crops Subcommittee (CS) 

- Deferred Votes

- Work agendas/ 

 Materials’ update

- Other business/Closing 

 remarks

Virtual Meeting Format

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

members. Audience cameras and microphones will be disabled. The meeting will be recorded.

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

• The NOSB Chair presides over the meeting. 

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

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

NOTE: Agenda items may be withdrawn, or votes postponed at the discretion of the Board.

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

Public Comments (Written and Oral) 

• Written Comments: Written comments submitted to the NOSB may be viewed at Regulations.gov.

• Oral Comments: There are two oral comment webinars scheduled for April 20 and 22, 2021, noon-5:00 pm ET. The 

30-day registration period to sign up for oral comments will close April 5, 2021. 

• The public is welcome to observe the comment webinars without registering. Please see the NOSB meeting 

webpage for login instructions for each session. 

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

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

beginning of their comment.
 

 Revised: 4/1/2021 – subject to change TUE/THU APR

2

0

/

2

2, 2021

NOON –

5:00 PM ET

(w/breaks)

Public comment webinars (Zoom) Meeting ID: 161 782 1182 (Same link both days)

+1 669 254 5252 US (San Jose) 

+1 669 216 1590 US (San Jose)

+1 551 285 1373 US

+1 646 828 7666 US (New York)

Find your local number: https://www.zoomgov.com/u/aekCdgX8Nh

WEDNESDAY APRIL

2

8, 20

2

1

12:00 PM ET NOSB Business Meeting (Zoom) Meeting ID: 160 755 0391 (Same link all 3 days)

+1 669 254 5252 US (San Jose) 

+1 669 216 1590 US (San Jose)

+1 551 285 1373 US

+1 646 828 7666 US (New York)

Find your local number: https://www.zoomgov.com/u/aekCdgX8Nh

Call to Order, Agenda Overview, Introductions

NOSB Members and NOP Deputy Administrator

Welcoming Remarks

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

Mindee Jeffery, NOSB Secretary

NOSB report

Steve Ela, NOSB Chairperson

AMS Update; National Organic Program Update 

AMS Staff; Jennifer Tucker, NOP Deputy Administrator

2:00 PM LUNCH (Offline)

3:00 PM National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Update on Organic Research Priorities

Mat Ngouajio, Steve Smith, Neerja Tyagi (USDA - NIFA)

3:30 PM Livestock Subcommittee (LS) 

Kim Huseman, Chairperson

Topics:

 2023 Sunset substances reviews:

 Activated charcoal 

Calcium borogluconate 

Calcium propionate 

Chlorine materials (Calcium hypochlorite, Chlorine dioxide, hypochlorous acid, 

 sodium hypochlorite)

Kaolin pectin 

Mineral Oil

Nutritive supplements

Propylene glycol 

Sodium chlorite, acidified

Zinc sulfate

Subcommittee discusses reviews

4:30 PM RECESS
 

 Revised: 4/1/2021 – subject to change THURSDAY APRIL 29, 2021 

via ZOOM

RECONVENE

12:00 PM ET 

Materials Subcommittee (MS)

Wood Turner, Chairperson

Topics:

 Discussion Document: Research Priorities 2021

 Discussion Document: Excluded Methods Spring 2021

 

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents, and votes on proposals

12:45 PM ET Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification Subcommittee (CACS) Update 

Nate Powell-Palm, Chairperson

Topics:

 Proposal: Human Capital: Strategy for Recruitment and Talent Management- Organic 

 Inspectors and Reviewers

 Discussion Document: Human Capital Management - Supporting the Work of the 

 NOSB

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents, and votes on proposals

1:15 PM ET Handling Subcommittee (HS) 

Jerry D’Amore, Chairperson

Topics:

 Proposal: Ion exchange filtration 

 2023 Sunset substances reviews:

 Agar-agar

Animal enzymes

Calcium sulfate - mined

Carrageenan

Glucono delta-lactone

Tartaric acid

Cellulose 

Chlorine materials (Calcium hypochlorite, Chlorine dioxide, hypochlorous acid, 

sodium hypochlorite)

Potassium hydroxide

Silicon dioxide

Potassium lactate 

Sodium lactate

Discussion Document: Zein - petitioned 

 Discussion Document: Fish oil annotation 

 

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents, and votes on proposals

2:00 PM ET LUNCH (Offline)

3:00 PM ET Handling Subcommittee (HS) Continued

5:00 PM RECESS
 

 Revised: 4/1/2021 – subject to change FRIDAY APRIL 30, 20

2

1

via ZOOM

RECONVENE

12:00 PM

Crops Subcommittee (CS)

Rick Greenwood, Chairperson

Topics: 

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

Proposal: Biodegradable biobased mulch annotation change

2023 Sunset substances review:

Copper sulfate 

Ozone gas

Peracetic acid 

EPA List 3 - Inerts of unknown toxicity

Chlorine materials (Calcium hypochlorite, Chlorine dioxide, hypochlorous acid, 

sodium hypochlorite)

Magnesium oxide 

Calcium chloride

Rotenone 

 Discussion Document: Ammonia Extract - petitioned

 Discussion Document: Kasugamycin - petitioned

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents, and votes on proposals

~2:00 PM LUNCH (Offline)

3:00 PM Crops Subcommittee (CS) Continued

3:30 PM Deferred Votes 

NOSB work agendas/Materials update 

Other business and closing remarks 

4:15 PM ADJOURN