USDA’s

Organic Working Group Update

Supporting organic agriculture across all USDA 

agencies

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USDA Strategic Plan & Organic Agriculture 

• Goal: increase the number of certified 

organic operations to 20,000 by 2018 –

exceeded by 2016

• Strategy:

– Research and education

– Outreach to farmers through field offices

– Risk management tools (crop insurance)

– Reduce paperwork / eliminate 

duplication

– Make certification simpler – small & 

beginning farmers

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USDA Organic Working Group

• The Organic Working Group (OWG) is led by AMS 

Administrator Elanor Starmer, has members from all across 

USDA

• The OWG tracks progress against the Secretary’s annual goals 

for organic 

• External speakers present at OWG meetings and brown bag 

lunches

• Coordination with local & regional, sustainability & food 

waste, beginning farmers, and veterans efforts

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Marketing Programs

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Organic Exemption 

• Organic Exemption Rule: As of February 2016, organic 

exemption extends to “split” operations (producing or 

handling organic or 100% organic products), who can apply to 

no longer pay assessments for market promotion activities 

into Research & Promotion Programs or Marketing Orders

• Research & Promotion Program examples: United Soybean 

Board, National Watermelon Promotion Board

– Research and promotional activities to develop and strengthen 

markets

• Marketing Order examples: California almonds, pears from 

Oregon & Washington

– Grades, sizes, and quality requirements and research and promotional 

activities

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Conservation Programs

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Conservation Planning with Transitioning Producers

Natural Resources Conservation Service 

National Organic Farming Handbook

• Published summer 2015

• Guide for conservation planning and 

implementation on organic farms

• Describes organic systems

• Identifies key resources

nrcs.usda.gov/organic 
Training with Field Staff

• Ongoing education and capacity building for field offices

– Environmental benefits of organic agriculture webinar series

www.nrcs.usda.gov/organic

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Conservation Buffers

• Organic conservation buffer initiative

– USDA Farm Service Agency

– 20,000 acre target for Conservation Reserve Program buffers on 

organic lands

– May cost share shrub and tree planting, pollinator habitats, etc. 

planted in blocks or strips

www.fsa.usda.gov/organic

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Risk Management & Disaster Assistance

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Expanding Crop Insurance Tools

Insurance programs: 

• Whole Farm: revenue-based, for 

diversified farms 

• Contract price elections: based on 

market contracts

• Price elections: crop-by-crop prices

Transitional option – producers with 

contracted price incentives during the 

transition may apply for higher crop 

insurance coverage

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Crop insurance tools for organic producers
Disaster Assistance

• Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) now 

allows separate market prices to be established for organic 

crops and sales to direct markets

• Provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable 

crops

• Protects against natural disasters that result in lower yields, 

crop losses, or prevent planting

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Data & Analysis

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Organic Production Surveys

• USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released 

the 2014 organic producer survey in September 2015

• NASS’ 2015 Organic Producer Survey is in process, results will 

be published in September

– Two years of sequential survey data – unprecedented level of 

information and data trends

• NASS also conducting 2014-2015 organic certifier survey for 

acreage and livestock head data

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New Data on Organic Farmers

Telling the story of organic with data

According to the Agricultural Census, organic 

producers were:

• More likely to be beginning farmers

• Younger: 26% under 45 years old, compared to 16% 

of all principal operators

• More likely than other farms to participate in direct 

sales markets
Economic Research 

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Profit Potential of Certified 

Organic Field Crop Production

• Organic producers are less likely to 

work off-farm

• Despite higher per-acre costs, 

organic has greater returns

www.ers.usda.gov
Research

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Proceedings of USDA Organic Research Conference

• Introducing organic language into Requests for Application 

(RFA) of traditional research programs, such as: 

– Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI)

– Agricultural Food & Research Initiative (AFRI)

– Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

• Continued incorporation of NOSB research priorities in RFAs 

for Organic Research & Extension Initiative and Organic 

Transitions Grants 

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Training and Outreach

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Tools for Transition – In Depth

eorganic.info/ToolsForTransition

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Organic Literacy Initiative Snapshot

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Questions

Feel free to contact me with 

questions or comments

Betsy Rakola

Organic Policy Advisor to the Secretary

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service

www.usda.gov/organic

Betsy.Rakola@ams.usda.gov

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