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Keeping Organic Strong: Changes in organic regulations and farming practice

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National Organic Standards Board Fall 2024 Meeting

See the Fall 2024 issues here

 
Click below on one of the following Actions to submit comments on priority issues to the NOSB by September 30, 11:59 pm EDT.
 
Due to updates to the Regulations.gov website, our team is now able to offer "click-and-submit" forms to the NOSB Regulations docket! We encourage you to add a sentence or two at the beginning of the comments explaining why organic is important to you!
 

The NOSB Fall Meeting 2024 will be held in person on Thursday, October 22, through Saturday, October 24, 2024, in Portland, OR. The meeting information for remote access is posted within the meeting agenda here.

A draft meeting agenda is available here. A detailed agenda, along with the proposals, is available here.

The deadline for written comments and to register for oral comments is 11:59 pm EDT on September 30, 2024. Written comments can be submitted here. Oral comment sign-ups fill up fast! >> Sign up for oral comments here.

>> Currently, the oral comment registration is full—to be considered for a potential waitlist (and let the U.S. Department of Agriculture know how important organic is), please contact NOSB Advisory Committee Specialist Michelle Arsenault at [email protected]. 

The meeting dates are:

  • Public Comment Webinar Day 1: Tuesday, October 15, 12 - 5 pm EDT
  • Public Comment Webinar Day 2: Thursday, October 17, 12 - 5 pm EDT
  • NOSB Public Meeting Day 1: Tuesday, October 22, 8:30 am - 6 pm PDT
  • NOSB Public Meeting Day 2: Wednesday, October 23, 8:30 am - 6 pm PDT
  • NOSB Public Meeting Day 3: Thursday, October 24, from 8:30 am - 6 pm PDT

Where? The NOSB Fall 2024 Meeting will be held in person in Portland OR. The meeting access information links will be posted one week before the webinars and can be found here.

Public Comment

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) invites the public to submit written comments and/or provide oral comments on the Fall 2024 meeting issues.

Written Comments:
Written comments can be submitted via Regulations.gov. The deadline to submit written comments is 11:59 pm EDT on September 30, 2024.

Oral Comments:
Oral comment registration can be done here. The Board will hear oral comments via Zoom:

  • Webinars: Tuesday, October 15, and Thursday, October 17, 2024, from 12 - 5 pm EDT.
    Links to listen in to the virtual comment webinars and the public meeting will be posted on this webpage one week before the meetings in October.

Questions?  Email Michelle Arsenault, NOSB Advisory Committee Specialist or call 202-997-0115.

About the Board

The 15-member board, consisting of four farmers, three environmentalists, three consumers, two food processors, one retailer, a scientist, and a certifying agent, votes to allow or prohibit substances and practices in certified organic food and farming. The NOSB acts as a lifeline from the government to the organic community as it considers input from you, the public - the concerned citizens upon whom organic integrity depends. That is why your participation is vital to the development of organic standards. Rest assured, if you submit a public comment in person or online, the Board will consider your concerns. Remember that the NOSB can't take serious action to protect organic integrity without your input!

A Framework to Keep in Mind When Commenting to the NOSB:

According to the Organic Foods Production Act, a synthetic substance may only be allowed for use in organic production if it meets the following criteria [7 USC 6517(c)(1)(B)]:

  • It contains an active synthetic ingredient in the following categories: copper and sulfur compounds; toxins derived from bacteria; pheromones, soaps, horticultural oils, fish emulsions, treated seed, vitamins and minerals; livestock parasiticides and medicines and production aids including netting, tree wraps and seals, insect traps, sticky barriers, row covers, and equipment cleansers.

  • It contains synthetic inert ingredients that are not classified by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency as inerts of toxicological concern.

Additionally, it must be fully established that the use of the substance [7 USC 6517(c)(1)(A)]

  • would not be harmful to human health or the environment;
  • is necessary to the production or handling of the final product because natural substitutes are not available; and
  • is consistent with organic farming and handling (see the NOSB’s Principles of Organic Production and Handling).

Structuring your comments on synthetic substances around these points and referencing the specific stipulations in the law will help the members of the NOSB to understand your argument and will make your input more effective.

See the Fall 2024 issues here

View issues that were before the Board at the Spring 2024 meeting

Also, see our NOSB archives pages to read about current and past opportunities for public involvement in the development of organic standards.

The organic regulatory process provides numerous opportunities for the public to weigh in on what is allowable in organic production. USDA maintains a National List, set by the NOSB, of the synthetic substances that may be used and the non-synthetic substances that may not be used in organic production and handling. OFPA and NOP regulations provide for the sunsetting of listed substances every five years and rely on public comment in evaluating their continuing uses. Sunset review, the process of reviewing substances on the National List every five years, is mandated by the Organic Foods Production Act.  To be added to the list of allowed synthetics, it must be shown that the use of such substances – (i) would not be harmful to human health or the environment; (ii) is necessary to the production or handling of the agricultural product because of the unavailability of wholly natural substitute products; and, (iii) is consistent with organic farming and handling. The public may also file a petition to amend the National List, either by removing a material currently on the list or adding a new one. In both cases, sunset and petition, the NOSB is authorized by OFPA to determine a substance’s status.

For more information on the history of organic agriculture and why it is the best choice for your health and the environment, please see Beyond Pesticides’ Organic Food Program Page.