Celebrating 20 Years and Identifying Opportunities for the Future

Today, the National Organic Coalition (NOC)  joined Congress in celebrating two decades of nationally-regulated organic food production. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), the landmark law that standardized organic food and farming systems across the U.S.

Representing NOC at the Senate Agriculture Hearing, NOC co-founder and founding Chair of the National Organic Standards Board, Michael Sligh, reflected upon the past 20 years of advancements in organic food production and presented his ideas for setting a clear course for organic for the future.  “We are seizing the moment of commemorating two decades of certified organic food and farming in America  to publicly acknowledge the  many environmental and health benefits and to call for more government funding and participation in increasing the amount of organic food produced and consumed in the U.S.,” said Sligh

At the hearing, Sligh delivered copies of the National Organic Action Plan (NOAP) –  From the Margins to the Mainstream:  Advancing Organic Agriculture in the U.S. to Senate Agriculture Committee members. The NOAP represents the culmination of more than 5 years of organic stakeholder meetings across the country, co-facilitated by Sligh. It presents the shared vision and action plan for establishing organic as the foundation of food and agricultural production systems in the U.S. In particular, the NOAP recommends the adoption of an expanded organic policy agenda to:  

enhance access to organic food for all people of all income levels; safeguard the environment and conserve biodiversity;ensure a fair marketplace for small, medium-sized and family farms; andmove society towards more socially just and humane food and agriculture production systems. 

“Our intent in producing the NOAP is to show why the U.S. remains a world leader in advancing organic agriculture technologies with strict regulation and oversight, and to invite conversation with federal legislators about possible areas of collaboration for expanding organic production,” Sligh said.

In his testimony Sligh was forthright in naming the great challenges that threaten the integrity of organic including:

GMO contamination,Food safety,Seed concentration, andThe lack of funding for organic researchThe lack of access to organic food for vulnerable populations

He urged immediate government attention to tackle these problems, and advocated GMO labeling and increased federal funding for public seed and breed programs as critical solutions in need of Congressional support. Sligh further urged the Committee to use the 2012 Farm Bill as the vehicle for helping to establish organic as a strong and stable choice for food and agricultural production systems across the U.S.

Sligh’s testimony concluded with a final call for government leadership in organic. “History will not only judge us by how well we manage our resources today,” he said, “but how well we defend opportunities for future generations.”

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Full text of Michael Sligh’s testimony is available at: http://www.nationalorganiccoalition.org/policycomments/MSlighTestimonySenAgCmtee9-15-2010FINAL.pdf

NOAP is available  for download at:http://www.nationalorganiccoalition.org/NOAPpage.html