Strengthening Organic Agricultural Research (SOAR) Act of 2023

To direct the agricultural research service to expand organic research, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Strengthening Organic Agricultural Research (SOAR) Act of 2023 2. Organic research and extension initiative Section 1672B(f) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 ( 7 U.S.C. 5925b(f) (1) in paragraph (1)— (A) in subparagraph (F), by striking and (B) in subparagraph (G), by striking and each fiscal year thereafter. (C) by adding at the end the following: (H) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; (I) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; (J) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; (K) $90,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; and (L) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2028 and each fiscal year thereafter. ; and (2) in paragraph (2), by striking 2023 2028 3. Researching the transition to organic Title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 ( 7 U.S.C. 5801 et seq. 1666. Researching the transition to organic program (a) Competitive specialized research and extension grants authorized The Secretary may make competitive grants to support research, education, and extension activities regarding the transition of nonorganic production systems into organic production for the purposes of— (1) overcoming social, economic, and management barriers to organic transition; (2) documenting and understanding the effects of organic practices on ecosystem services, including soil health and fertility, greenhouse gas mitigation and sequestration, water management, biodiversity-related services, and pest management; and (3) developing improved technologies, methods, models, and metrics to document, describe, and optimize ecosystem services of transitioning agricultural production into organic management. (b) Grant types and process Paragraphs (4), (7), (8), and (11)(B) of subsection (b) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act ( 7 U.S.C. 3157 (c) Partnerships encouraged Following the completion of a peer review process for applications for a grant received under this section, the Secretary may provide a priority to any such proposal for such a grant that— (1) is found in the peer review process to be scientifically meritorious; (2) includes as active partners organic producers that are conducting on-farm research and demostrations (and the organizations that represent such producers); and (3) actively involves— (A) 1890 Institutions (as defined in section 2 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 ( 7 U.S.C. 7601 (B) 1994 Institutions (as defined in such section 2); and (C) Hispanic-serving institutions (as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 ( 7 U.S.C. 3103 (d) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section— (1) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2026; and (2) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2028. . 4. Organic production and market data initiatives Section 7407 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 ( 7 U.S.C. 5925c (1) in subsection (d)— (A) in paragraph (1)— (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking and (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and (iii) by adding at the end the following: (C) $10,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2024 to 2028. ; and (B) in paragraph (2), by striking 2023 2028 (2) by adding at the end the following: (e) Economic impact analysis of organic farming and certification (1) In general The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Administrator of the Economic Research Service (referred to in this subsection as the Secretary (A) not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this subsection, prepare, and submit, a plan to conduct an economic impact analysis of organic agriculture, as defined in section 2103 of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 ( 7 U.S.C. 6502 (B) not later than 3 years after the date on which the plan is submitted under paragraph (1), submit such economic impact analysis to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives. (2) Contents The analysis under paragraph (1) shall include an analysis of— (A) farming and ranching operations of a variety of sizes, with regional differences, and that have a diversity of production practices and methods; and (B) the direct and indirect economic impacts of organic agriculture on rural and urban communities, including— (i) the vitality of the local economy; (ii) the labor market; (iii) environmental quality; (iv) social dynamics; (v) land ownership; and (vi) any other information, data, or analysis the Secretary considers necessary to make the economic impact analysis comprehensive, accurate, and useful. .

Summary: Strengthening Organic Agricultural Research (SOAR) Act of 2023This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand organic research, including through grant opportunities and the collection of data.Specifically, the bill reauthorizes and increases funding for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, a grant program which funds projects to enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market organic high quality agricultural products.USDA may also provide competitive grants for research, education, and extension activities regarding the transition from nonorganic production systems into organic production. The grants may be offered for the purposes ofovercoming social, economic, and management barriers to organic transition;documenting and understanding the effects of organic practices on ecosystem services (e.g., soil health and fertility); anddeveloping improved technologies, methods, models, and metrics for transitioning to organic management.USDA may prioritize grants for proposals that actively involve certain historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges or universities, and Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities. The bill also provides additional funding for the Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives to collect data and report on the production and marketing of organic agricultural products.Further, USDA's Economic Research Service must conduct an economic impact analysis of organic agriculture and submit a report to Congress. The report must include an analysis of farming and ranching operations and the economic impacts, both direct and indirect, of organic agriculture on rural and urban communities.