USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2012 Meeting Agenda, Revised 10/03/2012

 1

National Organic Standards Board Meeting

Providence, RI, October 15-18, 2012 

Agenda

 Schedule at a Glance

Monday 

Oct 15

Tuesday

Oct 16

Wednesday

Oct 17

Thursday

Oct 18

AM - Call to Order

- Secretary’s Report 

- NOP Update 

- Open Public 

 Comment 

- GMO ad-hoc 

 Subcommittee

- Crops 

 Subcommittee

- Handling 

Subcommittee 

- Compliance, Accreditation 

 & Certification 

 Subcommittee 

- Deferred Items

- Final Votes

PM - Livestock 

 Subcommittee

- Materials 

 Subcommittee 

 

- Policy 

 Development 

 Subcommittee

 

- Officer Elections

- Subcommittee Work Plans

- Other Business 

- Closing Remarks

Meeting Format

• The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) National List Manager presents an overview of petitioned 

substances and Technical Reports in consistent format. 

• NOSB members present Subcommittee discussion documents and proposals on petitioned substances.

• Public comments are grouped to correspond with each Subcommittee’s presentation.

• Each Subcommittee’s proposals are discussed and may be voted on by the Board before moving to the next 

Subcommittee.

• If more deliberation is needed, final votes will be deferred to Thursday, October 18.

• NOTE: Agenda items may be withdrawn or votes may be postponed at the discretion of the Board.

 Public Comments

• All persons wishing to comment at NOSB meetings during public comment periods should sign up in advance. 

Commenters can sign up in person at the meeting if the schedule allows.

• Each commenter must state their name and affiliation for the record at the beginning of his or her public 

comment.

• Each person may sign up for only one speaking slot. Speakers have been allotted 4 minutes to testify with 3 

minutes for questions and answers from the Board. 
USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2012 Meeting Agenda, Revised 10/03/2012

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Monday, October 15

8:00 AM Call to Order

Dr. Barry Flamm, Chairperson

- Announcements

- Introductions

- NOSB Mission

8:15 AM Secretary’s Report

Dr. Wendy Fulwider, Secretary

- Acceptance of May 2012 Meeting Transcripts and Voting Results as Official 

Record

8:30 AM National Organic Program Update

Miles McEvoy, Deputy Administrator, National Organic Program

Mark Lipson, Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Policy Advisor, OSEC-MRP

9:30 AM Break

9:45 AM Open Public Comment

- Public comments that are not specific to a particular Subcommittee, or which

address topics not on the agenda

12:00 PM Lunch

1:00 PM Open Public Comment continued

2:15 PM Livestock Subcommittee 

Dr. Wendy Fulwider, Chairperson 

- Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments 

Topics:

- Proposal: Nonanoic acid (pelargonic acid) - petitioned

- Proposal: Pet Food Amino Acids - petitioned

- Discussion document: Omnivore diets (methionine)

- GMO Vaccines Working Group update: Dr. Jean Richardson (15 min)

3:00 PM Break

3:15 PM - Public comments related to Livestock Subcommittee 

4:45 PM - Break for Subcommittee to modify proposals as needed

- Board votes if ready

5:30 PM Recess
USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2012 Meeting Agenda, Revised 10/03/2012

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Tuesday, October 16

8:00 AM GMO Ad Hoc Subcommittee

Zea Sonnabend, Chairperson

- Present Subcommittee proposal and summarize written comments 

Topics: 

- Discussion document: GMOs and seed purity 

8:15 AM - Public comments related to GMO Ad Hoc Subcommittee 

9:05 AM Break

9:20 AM Crops Subcommittee 

Jay Feldman, Chairperson 

- Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments

Topics:

- Proposal: Ferric Phosphate - petitioned

- Proposal: Oxidized lignite (humic acid) - petitioned

- Proposal: Propylene glycol monolaurate (PGML)- petitioned 

- Proposal: Review of Inert Ingredients

- Proposal: Rotenone (For 205.602)

- Proposal: Sulfuric acid - petitioned

- Proposal: Biodegradable Mulch Film Made From Bioplastics – petitioned

11:00 AM - Update from the Tree Fruit Working Group: David Granatstein

- Presentation: Consumers Union: Dr. Urvashi Rangan

- Presentation: Organic Seed Alliance: Kiki Hubbard

12:15 PM LUNCH

1:15 PM - Public comments related to Crops Subcommittee 

3:20 PM Break

3:35 PM - Break for Subcommittee to modify proposals as needed

- Board votes if ready
USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2012 Meeting Agenda, Revised 10/03/2012

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Tuesday, October 16

4:15 PM Materials Subcommittee 

Dr. Jennifer Taylor, Chairperson

- Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments 

Topics:

- Proposal: Research Priorities 

4:30 PM - Public comments related to Materials Subcommittee 

4:45 PM - Break for Subcommittee to modify proposals as needed 

- Board votes if ready 

5:00 PM Recess
USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2012 Meeting Agenda, Revised 10/03/2012

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Wednesday, October 17

8:00 AM Handling Subcommittee

John Foster, Chairperson

- Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments

- Representatives from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (Dr. Jatinder

Bhatia) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (Dr. Sue Anderson), 

invited by the NOP, will be available to respond to Board member questions.

Topics:

- Proposal: Ascorbyl palmitate - petitioned

- Proposal: Beta-carotene (synthetic) - petitioned

- Proposal: Lutein - petitioned

- Proposal: Lycopene - petitioned

- Proposal: L-Carnitine - petitioned

- Proposal: L-Methionine - petitioned

- Proposal: Taurine - petitioned

- Proposal: Nucleotides - petitioned

- Discussion document: Auxiliary/”other” ingredients

10:00 AM BREAK

10:15 AM - Public comments related to Handling Subcommittee

12:30 PM LUNCH (until 1:45 when Handling Subcommittee returns from break)

1:30 PM - Break for Subcommittee to modify proposals as needed

- Board votes if ready

3:00 PM BREAK
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 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2012 Meeting Agenda, Revised 10/03/2012

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Wednesday, October 1

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3:15 PM Policy Development Subcommittee

Colehour Bondera, Chairperson

- Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments 

Topics:

- Proposal: Conflict of Interest and Ethics 

- Proposal: Public Comment Procedures

- Proposal: Public Communications

4:00 PM - Public comments related to Policy Development Subcommittee 

4:45 PM - Break for Subcommittee to modify proposals as needed

- Board votes if ready

5:30 PM Recess
USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2012 Meeting Agenda, Revised 10/03/2012

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Thursday, October 1

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8:00 AM Compliance, Accreditation and Certification Subcommittee 

Joe Dickson, Chairperson

- Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments

Topics: 

- Discussion document: Calculating Percentage of Organic Ingredients

- Discussion document: Biodiversity update

8:30 AM - Public comments related to CAC Subcommittee 

8:50 AM Deferred Proposals/Final Votes

10:00 AM BREAK

10:15 AM Deferred Proposals/Final Votes

12:00 PM LUNCH 

1:00 PM Deferred Proposals/Final Votes

3:00 PM BREAK

3:15 PM NOSB Officer Elections 

3:30 PM Subcommittee Workplans

4:45 PM

Other Business and Closing Remarks

- Farewell/presentation of plaque to Barry Flamm

5:00 PM Adjourn