USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Spring 2013 Meeting Agenda, Revised 04/03/2013

 1

National Organic Standards Board Meeting

Portland, OR April 9-11, 2013

Agenda

Schedule at a Glance: 

Tuesday

April 9

Wednesday

April 10

Thursday

April 11

AM - Call to Order 

- Secretary’s Report 

- NOP Update 

- Open Public Comment 

 

- Policy Development 

 Subcommittee 

- Aquaculture WG Update 

- Livestock 

 Subcommittee 

- Handling 

 Subcommittee 

- Compliance, Accreditation 

 & Certification Subcommittee 

 

- Misc Public Comment 

PM - Materials 

 Subcommittee 

- GMO ad hoc

 Subcommittee 

- Tree Fruit (Antibiotics) 

 Panel 

- Crops 

 Subcommittee 

- Inerts WG Update 

- Deferred Items/Final Votes 

- Work Plans and 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 proposals on petitioned substances and discussion documents.

• 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, April 11.

• NOTE: Agenda items may be withdrawn or votes may be postponed at the discretion of the Board.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 must sign up in advance. 

Instructions are available at www.ams.usda.gov/NOSBMeetings. Speaking slots for walk-in commenters may be 

available, but are not guaranteed. Commenters can sign up in person at the meeting if the schedule allows.

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

comment.

• Each speaker will have 4 minutes to present their comments to the NOSB followed by time for questions from 

the Board. Each person may sign up for only one speaking slot during the meeting.
USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Spring 2013 Meeting Agenda, Revised 04/03/2013

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Tuesday, April 9

8:00 AM Call to Order

Mac Stone, Chairperson

Announcements

Introductions

NOSB Mission

Secretary’s Report

Dr. Calvin Walker, Secretary

Acceptance of May 2012 and October 2012 Meeting Transcripts and Voting 

Results as Official Record

8:20 AM National Organic Program Update

Miles McEvoy, Deputy Administrator, National Organic Program

9:00 AM Open Public Comment 

Public comments not specific to a particular Subcommittee, or that address topics 

not on the agenda 

10:00 AM BREAK

10:15 AM Open Public Comment Continued

12:00 PM LUNCH

1:00 PM Open Public Comment Continued

3:05 PM BREAK

3:20 PM Materials Subcommittee 

Zea Sonnabend, Chairperson

Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments 

Topics:

Discussion Document: Confidential Business Information (CBI) Transparency and 

 Process 

Discussion Document: Definition of Production Aids

Proposal: Process for Limited Scope Technical Reviews (TRs)

3:50 PM Public comments related to Materials Subcommittee 
USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Spring 2013 Meeting Agenda, Revised 04/03/2013

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Tuesday, April 9

4:15 PM GMO ad hoc Subcommittee

Dr. Jennifer Taylor, Chairperson

Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments 

Topics: 

Discussion Document: GMOs and Seed Purity

Discussion Document: Terminology for Excluded Methods

4:35 PM Public comments related to GMO ad hoc Subcommittee 

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

 National Organic Standards Board | Spring 2013 Meeting Agenda, Revised 04/03/2013

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Wednesday, April 10

8:00 AM Policy Development Subcommittee

Colehour Bondera, Chairperson

Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments 

Topics:

Discussion Document: Material Initiation Policy

Proposal: New Member Guide update

Proposal: Public Communications

8:30 AM Public comments related to Policy Development Subcommittee

8:45 AM Presentation: Aquaculture Working Group

9:45 AM BREAK

10:00 AM Livestock Subcommittee 

Tracy Favre, Chairperson 

Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments 

Topics:

Proposal: Pet Food Amino Acids - petitioned

Vaccines Made with Excluded Methods (VMWEM) Working Group Interim Report: 

 Dr. Jean Richardson

10:25AM Public comments related to Livestock Subcommittee 

11:10 AM Break for Subcommittee to modify proposals as needed

Board votes if ready

11:45 AM LUNCH
USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Spring 2013 Meeting Agenda, Revised 04/03/2013

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Wednesday, April 10

1:00 PM Tree Fruit (antibiotics) panel 

2:15 PM Crops Subcommittee 

Jay Feldman, Chairperson 

Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments

Topics:

Proposal: Tetracycline - petitioned

Proposal: Polyoxin D Zinc Salt - petitioned

Proposal: Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) - petitioned

2:45 PM Public comments related to Crops Subcommittee 

3:15 PM BREAK

3:30 PM Public comments related to Crops Subcommittee continued

5:40 PM RECESS
USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Spring 2013 Meeting Agenda, Revised 04/03/2013

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Thursday, April 11

8:00 AM Handling Subcommittee

John Foster, Chairperson

Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments

Topics:

Proposal: Sulfuric acid - petitioned

Proposal: Barley beta fiber - petitioned

Proposal: Sugar beet fiber - petitioned

Proposal: Proposal: 1,3-Dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DBDMH) - petitioned

Proposal: Auxiliary/”other” ingredients

8:50 AM Public comments related to Handling Subcommittee 

9:45 AM BREAK

10:00 AM Break for Subcommittee to modify proposals as needed

Board votes if ready

11:00 AM Compliance, Accreditation and Certification Subcommittee 

Joe Dickson, Chairperson

Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments

Topics: 

Proposal: Calculating Percent of Organic Ingredients in Multi-ingredient Products

11:15 AM Public comments related to CAC Subcommittee 

12:15 AM LUNCH

1:30 PM Inerts Working Group Update: Dr. Lisa M. Brines (NOP)

1:45 PM Deferred Proposals/Final Votes 

3:00 PM BREAK

3:15 PM Deferred Proposals/Final Votes 

4:45 PM Subcommittee Workplans

5:00 PM Other Business and Closing Remarks

5:30 PM ADJOURN