REPORT TO CONGRESS

Fiscal Year (FY) 2020

NATIONAL AND AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION COST SHARE PROGRAMS

I. BACKGROUND

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers two organic certification cost share programs

collectively referred to as the Organic Certification Cost Share Programs (OCCSP); (1) The National

Organic Certification Cost Share Program (National), and (2) The Agricultural Management Assistance 

Organic Certification Cost Share Program (AMA). 

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides cost share assistance either to State agencies who may provide 

cost share payments to producers and handlers by establishing a grant agreement with FSA or directly to 

producers and handlers who apply for cost share payments at one of FSA’s 2,100 county offices. 

Applicants are free to apply with either the State agency or FSA in States where a State agency 

participates in OCCSP. However, applicants may not apply through both the State agency and FSA.

In 2020, FSA announced the availability of National and AMA funds through a variety of

communication channels, such as telephone calls and emails to State contacts, outreach materials, and

informational postings to Grants.gov and through the FSA Web site: 

https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/occsp/index

To be eligible for OCCSP, applicants must receive an initial certification or continuation of

certification from a USDA-accredited certifying agent, in accordance with the USDA organic

regulations. In previous years, OCCSP provided up to 75 percent of total certification costs, not to 

exceed $750 per certification category (crops, livestock, wild crops, processing/handling, and State 

Organic Program fees1). Due to expected participation levels and the limited funds available for FY 

2020, FSA revised the maximum reimbursement amount to 50 percent of total certification costs, not 

to exceed $500 per certification category.

2 This change allowed a larger number of certified organic 

operations to receive assistance. The change to the maximum payment amount applied to all certified 

organic operations, regardless of whether they applied through an FSA county office or a participating 

State agency.

A. National OCCSP

The National OCCSP is authorized under Section 10606 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 

of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 6523), as amended by Section 10004(c) of the Agriculture Act of 2014 (2014 Farm

Bill; Pub. L. 113–79), and Section 10105 of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm 

Bill; Pub. L. 115-334), which reauthorized the National OCCSP and provided “no year” funding,

available to certified organic producers and handlers in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and five 

1 State Organic Program fee was added as an eligible category in 2017. It applies only to producers in a State with a 

recognized State Organic Program under the National Organic Program regulations.

2 This change is applicable for FY 2021 through 2023. If additional funding is authorized at a later time, FSA may increase 

the amount of assistance provided under OCCSP, not to exceed 75 percent of a certified operation’s eligible costs, up to $750 

per certification category.
2

U.S. Territories (hereafter referred to as “States”).3 Twenty-six State agencies chose not to participate

in FY 2020; however, certified operations in all states could participate through FSA county offices. 

State agencies that did not participate are American Samoa, Colorado, Delaware, the District of

Columbia, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, 

Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, the Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South 

Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Funds obligated through 

grant agreements that are not used are returned to FSA and available for later years.

B. The AMA OCCSP

The AMA OCCSP is authorized under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (FCIA), as amended

(7 U.S.C. 1524(b)). Under this authority, Congress authorizes USDA to annually provide organic 

certification cost share assistance to certified organic producers operating in 16 specifically named

States: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire,

New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

State agencies in Delaware, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Nevada, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming 

chose not to participate, citing inadequate resources to manage the program or a decision to let FSA 

administer all OCCSP payments in that State. To prevent duplicate assistance payments, producers 

participating in the AMA OCCSP are not eligible to participate in the producer portion of the National

OCCSP. Unused funds are returned to the Treasury because AMA OCCSP funds are annual funds.

II. FISCAL YEAR 2020

A. National Participation

Under the 2020 National OCCSP, $1,882,0004 was available under the 2018 Farm Bill, and $5,527,495

in unobligated funding was available from prior years. FSA allocated $4,631,850 to the 30 State

agencies that signed grant agreements. These State agencies subsequently disbursed $3,978,157 in cost

share assistance to 6,847 qualifying organic operations. Funds apportioned for FY 2020 that were not 

allocated to State agencies were available to provide payments directly to certified operations through 

FSA county offices and cover FSA administrative costs. Under the 2020 National OCCSP, FSA county 

offices have disbursed $1,634,552 to 3,961 certified operations. Remaining FY 2020 National OCCSP 

funds that were not spent by State agencies or FSA remain available for FY 2021. 

The Appendix to this report provides State-by-State data on the funds allocated and disbursed by 

participating State agencies and FSA county offices. Disbursements vary by the number of requests for 

reimbursement submitted by organic operations.

3 The 2018 Farm Bill authorized $2 million from CCC to be used for National OCCSP for each of FYs 2019 and 2020, $4 

million for FY 2021, and $8 million for each of FYs 2022 and 2023, to remain available until expended.

4 The 2018 Farm Bill authorized $2,000,000 in National OCCSP funding for fiscal year 2020, which was sequestered at 5.9

percent, for a total apportionment of $1,882,000.
3

B. AMA Participation

Under the 2020 AMA OCCSP, $941,0005 was apportioned for 16 States authorized to receive funds by 

the legislation. FSA allocated $921,750 to the 9 States that signed agreements with FSA to participate. 

The participating State agencies subsequently disbursed $622,143 in cost share assistance to 1,442

qualifying organic operations. Due to the timing of grant awards, FSA county offices did not distribute 

remaining AMA OCCSP funds in FY 2020.

The Appendix to this report provides State-by-State data on the funds allocated and disbursed by

participating State agencies and FSA county offices. 

5 In fiscal year 2020, AMA OCCSP was authorized $1,000,000 and then sequestered at 5.9 percent, for a total apportionment 

of $41000.
4

III. APPENDIX

National Organic Certification Cost Share Program FY 2020 Allocation and Disbursement 

State

State Agency Funding and 

Disbursements

Funds Disbursed 

by FSA County 

Offices

Number of

Operations

Assisted by State 

Agencies

FY 2020

Allocation1

FY 2020 Funds 

Disbursed2

Number of 

Operations 

Assisted by FSA

Alabama $2,000 $500 $2,560 1 6

Alaska $6,550 $6,499 $0 11 0

American Samoa N/A $0 $0 0 0

Arizona $41,350 $40,658 $4,448 80 9

Arkansas $3,400 $2,801 $6,840 9 18

California $1,437,800 $1,437,800 $16,317 2,184 45

Colorado N/A $0 $84,415 0 179

Connecticut $14,450 $8,945 $5,200 22 13

Delaware N/A $0 $2,596 0 6

Dist. of Columbia N/A $0 $0 0 0

Florida $29,500 $29,500 $10,472 56 24

Georgia N/A $0 $31,583 0 68

Guam N/A $0 $0 0 0

Hawaii N/A $0 $23,263 0 62

Idaho N/A $0 $65,577 0 158

Illinois N/A $0 $80,924 0 181

Indiana N/A $0 $182,485 0 439

Iowa N/A $0 $174,362 0 440

Kansas $22,350 $14,855 $19,318 36 42

Kentucky $33,700 $23,813 $3,813 138 8

Louisiana N/A $0 $16,711 0 34

Maine $184,050 $128,207 $1,961 212 4

Maryland $22,700 $4,640 $3,123 15 8

Massachusetts $3,350 $3,325 $28,787 6 73

Michigan N/A $0 $120,814 0 304

Minnesota $302,950 $260,506 $49,194 461 118

Mississippi $3,300 $0 $10,002 0 22

Missouri $62,950 $12,312 $28,781 21 64

Montana $98,550 $93,715 $13,843 176 32

Nebraska N/A $0 $75,078 0 169

Nevada N/A $0 $10,942 0 26

New Hampshire N/A $0 $14,052 0 80

New Jersey $32,300 $32,300 $2,546 69 7

New Mexico N/A $0 $5,236 0 14

New York $283,250 $65,945 $93,186 111 262

North Carolina $135,800 $74,910 $17,496 145 40

North Dakota $70,800 $65,952 $1,402 120 3

N. Mariana Islands N/A $0 $0 0 0

Ohio $258,700 $205,700 $25,851 359 64

Oklahoma N/A $0 $9,499 0 26
5

State

State Agency Funding and 

Disbursements

Funds Disbursed 

by FSA County 

Offices

Number of

Operations

Assisted by State 

Agencies

FY 2020

Allocation1

FY 2020 Funds 

Disbursed2

Number of 

Operations 

Assisted by FSA

Oregon $139,250 $81,494 $77,945 141 176

Pennsylvania $143,900 $135,087 $43,288 277 104

Puerto Rico N/A $0 $0 0 0

Rhode Island $5,400 $4,127 $1,000 9 2

South Carolina $8,900 $5,743 $3,185 14 15

South Dakota N/A $0 $33,949 0 84

Tennessee N/A $0 $12,732 0 30

Texas $25,150 $24,570 $42,707 49 89

U.S. Virgin Islands N/A $0 $500 0 1

Utah N/A $0 $11,090 0 26

Vermont $236,850 $198,017 $14,601 416 36

Virginia $20,600 $14,236 $38,290 28 90

Washington $416,000 $416,000 $29,414 819 67

West Virginia N/A $0 $7,343 0 18

Wisconsin $586,000 $586,000 $61,377 862 142

Wyoming N/A $0 $14,454 0 33

Total $4,631,850 $3,978,157 $1,634,552 6,847 3,961

1 Amount FSA authorized the State agency to use for reimbursement to certified organic operations plus indirect cost, if 

applicable, to cover State agencies administrative expenses. “N/A” represents non-participation by the State agency.

2 Funds paid by State agency to reimburse certified organic operators plus indirect cost, if applicable, to cover State agencies

administrative expenses.
6

AMA Organic Certification Cost Share Program FY 2020 Allocation and Disbursement 

State

State Agency Funding and 

Disbursements Funds 

Disbursed by 

FSA County 

Offices3

Number of

Operations

Assisted by 

State Agencies

Number of 

Operations 

Assisted by 

County Offices

FY 2020

Allocation1

FY 2020 Funds 

Disbursed2

Connecticut $36,100 $15,140 $0 40 0

Delaware N/A $0 $0 0 0

Hawaii N/A $0 $0 0 0

Maine $127,400 $126,880 $0 279 0

Maryland $22,600 $22,600 $0 79 0

Massachusetts $40,500 $17,650 $0 42 0

Nevada N/A $0 $0 0 0

New Hampshire N/A $0 $0 0 0

New Jersey $21,100 $10,846 $0 37 0

New York $324,150 $218,157 $0 400 0

Pennsylvania $177,800 $40,440 $0 85 0

Rhode Island $6,400 $4,730 $0 24 0

Utah N/A $0 $0 0 0

Vermont $165,700 $165,700 $0 456 0

West Virginia N/A $0 $0 0 0

Wyoming N/A $0 $0 0 0

Total $921,750 $622,143 $0 1,442 0

1 Amount FSA authorized the State agency to use for reimbursement to certified organic operations plus indirect cost, if 

applicable, to cover State agencies administrative expenses. “N/A” represents non-participation by the State agency.

2 Funds paid by State agency to reimburse certified organic operators plus indirect cost, if applicable, to cover State agencies

administrative expenses.

3 FSA county offices did not distribute AMA OCCSP funds in FY 2020.