11/3/2010

1

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Integrating Organic In USDA

National Organic Standards Board Meeting

October 25, 2010

Madison, WI

Mark Lipson

Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Policy Advisor

USDA-OSEC-MRP

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

USDA “Every Way Every Day”

Organic agriculture continues to grow its 

footprint and legitimacy within USDA

Still many challenges

External contention around organic has 

effects within USDA

NOP efficacy and trust of the USDA 

organic seal is essential to everything else 

organic in the department
11/3/2010

2

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Organic USDA Beyond the NOP

Farm Bill programs implementation

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Organic USDA Beyond the NOP

Farm Bill programs implementation

New Organic Policy Advisor Position 

June ’10
11/3/2010

3

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Organic USDA Beyond the NOP

Farm Bill programs implementation

New Organic Policy Advisor Position 

June ’10

Inter-agency Projects

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Organic USDA Beyond the NOP

Farm Bill programs implementation

New Organic Policy Advisor Position 

June ’10

Inter-agency Projects

 Dept.-wide Organic Working Group
11/3/2010

4

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Organic USDA Beyond the NOP

Farm Bill programs implementation

New Organic Policy Advisor Position 

June ’10

Inter-agency Projects

 Dept.-wide Organic Working Group

USDA 2010 Strategic Plan: 

Performance Objective for 25% increase 

in certified operations by 2015

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Farm Bill Implementation

Research, Extension & Data 

Certification Cost-Share

Conservation Programs - EQIP

 Crop Insurance
11/3/2010

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United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Organic Research & Extension 

FY2010 

OREI: $19+ Million (mandatory Farm Bill)

Org Transitions: $5 Million (discretionary)

USDA Ag Research Service: $16+ Million

eOrganic electronic extension program

SARE program grants: $5-10 Million

Research Symposium: March 16-18, 2011, 

Washington DC 

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Organic Data Initiatives

$5 Million mandatory Farm Bill $ for ODI

Continuing Econ. Research Service series 

of studies

NASS 2008 Organic Production Survey, 

80+% return! 

Ongoing expansion of price collection 

program; AMS Organic Price Portal 

marketnews.usda.gov/portal/fv
11/3/2010

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United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Certification Cost-Share

$22 Million allocated for national 

program, FY09-12

Less than half $ used through FY10

49 states and two territories 

signed up for FY11
11/3/2010

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United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

EQIP Organic Initiative

Farm Bill conservation program for 

financial and technical assistance.

$100 Million reserved by NRCS 09 & 10

$63 Million in contracts

Significant learning curves & structural 

obstacles

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Organic Conservation Upgrades

Internal NRCS training initiatives

~$1 million Conservation Innovation 

Grant to ATTRA & others to revise 

NRCS Practice Standards for organic

New NRCS Deputy Chief for Science & 

Technology, Wayne Honeycutt, organic 

researcher from ARS (Orono, Maine)

Clearing way for organic inspectors to 

also be NRCS Tech. Service Providers
11/3/2010

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United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Crop Insurance 

Farm Bill mandate for technical analysis 

on premiums and payouts

Reports completed early 2010

5% surcharge removed for initial set or 

crops

Organic “Price Election” implemented 

for several field crops

 Data highly problematic; RMA funding 

more studies and data collection

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Organic Policy Advisor

Position authorized for two years, renewable 

for four more

Direct report to Undersecretary for Marketing 

and Regulatory Programs, Edward M. Avalos

Serves the Office of the Secretary (i.e., 

available to leadership of all Mission Areas)

Coordinates the USDA Organic Working 

Group
11/3/2010

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United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Organic Policy Advisor

For public, provides default first-stop for 

non-regulatory/enforcement needs

For agencies, provides cross-program 

troubleshooting and coordination

Serves on “Know Your Farmer, Know 

Your Food” Task Force

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Inter-Agency Projects

International Trade tracking codes. 

Coordinated ERS, FAS, AMS, APHIS and 

organic traders to submit USDA request 

to US International Trade Commission 

for tracking codes to document highestvolume organic commodities. 

Request accepted Oct. 15. Codes 

available January 1.
11/3/2010

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United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Inter-Agency Projects

Organic “Cooperation Arrangements” 

document for AMS/NOP and Foreign Ag 

Service: Details cooperative activities 

dealing with offshore compliance issues, 

NOP foreign travel, international trade 

information, cross-training of personnel, 

trade delegations, etc.

Document nearly finalized.

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

USDA Organic Working Group

“The OWG is an informal, informationsharing network open to all USDA 

agencies. Its purpose is to facilitate 

inter-agency coordination and 

communication about policies, programs, 

data and research results pertaining to 

organic agriculture, products and 

markets.” 
11/3/2010

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United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

OWG Activities and Outputs

Baseline organic program information for all 

USDA agencies. (December 2010)

Directory of agency contacts for organic issues. 

(November 2010)

Web portal(s) for easy access to organic USDA 

program sites and publications

Training and education for USDA personnel

Shared outreach to customers & stakeholders

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

USDA Strategic Plan

Strategic goal 1- “Assist rural communities to 

create prosperity so they are self-sustaining, 

repopulating, and economically thriving.”

Objective 1.3 – “Support A Sustainable And 

Competitive Agricultural System.”

Performance Objective 1.3.1 – Certified 

organic agricultural [production and handling] 

operations increase from 16,564 (2009) to 

20,655 (2015). 
11/3/2010

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United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Organic Integration Onward

Focus on USDA-SP Performance 

Objective w/ focus on both, organic 

transition and retention, integrating:

 research & extension

conservation support programs

risk management

market services

farm credit

value-added

co-op development

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

Organic Integration Onward

Organic Systems Research 

Conference, March 16-18, 2011, 

Washington DC

Analysis and ideas for 2012 Farm Bill

Stakeholder Input Session(s)

Outreach to other Fed. departments
11/3/2010

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United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

NOSB-NOP Foundation

Momentum of organic policy and 

programs efforts rests on the success 

of the NOP and respect for the USDA 

organic seal

Intensive period of NOP program 

improvement for integrity and 

coherence 

Success of NOP upgrades requires 

high- performance NOSB

United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

THANK YOU 

FOR

YOUR SERVICE
11/3/2010

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United States Department of Agriculture

Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Policy

CONTACT

Mark Lipson

Organic and Sustainable 

Agriculture 

Policy Advisor

mark.lipson (at) osec.usda.gov

202-720-4256