Celebrating Organic Progress: 2024 Highlights from NOC
This year has been monumental for the National Organic Coalition (NOC), as we achieved critical wins for organic farmers, businesses, and advocates nationwide. Together, we’ve taken bold steps toward securing the future of organic agriculture and protecting organic integrity.
Some of the milestones we achieved in 2024 include:
NOC Advocates gathered in D.C. in March of 2024, to meet with 47 Congressional Offices and USDA.
Organic Advocacy Wins:
Securing funding for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program in the 2023 Farm Bill extension and through ongoing negotiations with the USDA Farm Service Agency in the spring of 2024. This allowed the program to continue to operate without cuts in 2024. Unfortunately, this challenge isn’t over. Now that the Farm Bill extension has expired, we launched a campaign to secure funding for at-risk organic programs. Without Congressional action, the Organic Certification Cost Share Program could be defunded in 2025!
In March, a diverse delegation of 26 NOC advocates convened in Washington D.C. for our annual fly-in and lobby day. We met with 47 Congressional Offices and USDA staff to advocate for Farm Bill priorities, organic dairy producers, regulatory updates, and organic as a climate-change solution.
Thanks to our tireless advocacy with USDA, we helped secure $85 million for Organic Growth through the Organic Market Development Grants. Thanks to joint advocacy work, $58 million in aid for organic dairy producers in crisis was secured in the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program.
Dr. Jenny Tucker, Deputy Administrator of the National Organic Program at USDA, participated in a Q&A facilitated by NOC during the Portland Pre-NOSB Meeting in October 2024.
Organic Integrity Wins:
Strengthening Organic Standards: Four years ago, NOC waged an effective campaign with the Biden-Harris Administration to put organic back on solid footing, focusing on six top priorities, including finalization of three major new rules – Strengthening Organic Enforcement, Origin of Livestock, and the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards rules. All three rules are now final. We are actively working on addressing challenges related to enforcement and implementation of these three major rules.
NOC is a respected and trusted voice with the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). NOC’s work with the NOSB is critical to upholding the integrity of the organic program. NOC submitted in-depth comments to the NOSB in advance of spring and fall meetings in 2024. NOC has advocated for a more rigorous review for inert ingredients in organic pesticides and currently, NOC is working to prevent synthetic compostable packaging from being used in organic compost. In partnership with Organic Seed Alliance, NOC elevated the lack of progress made on organic seed usage with USDA leaders and organic community members. As a result, the NOSB and NOP have begun work on this topic.
Wisconsin-based farmers participated in a panel co-facilitated by NOC and Organic Farmers Association at the Milwaukee Pre-NOSB Meeting in April 2024, sharing what they saw as challenges and opportunities in organic.
Organic Community Building Wins
NOC connected organic champions across the country, hosting educational webinars (topics ranging from NOSB meeting debriefs, to policy updates, to facilitated conversations about barriers to organic certification), national TOPP meetings, and public, in-person Pre-NOSB Meetings for organic advocates in the spring and fall.
Through partnerships and coalition-building, we helped create resources like the Organic is Regenerative Toolkit, and engaged in racial equity initiatives to make organic accessible to all.
Our work isn’t done yet. With the Farm Bill extension expired, a new Administration, and a new Congress, NOC is leading the charge to protect these vital programs. But we need your help to continue this work.