National Policy Issues & Topics

• Child Nutrition
• Climate Change
• Federal Farm Bill
• Food Safety
• Genetically Modified Organisms
• National Organic Policies & Regulations
• Organic Dairy

Child Nutrition

• National Organic Coalition letter to U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry urging to include language in the Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill to remove the barriers of access to organic foods within the WIC program (March 17, 2010).
• Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)
• Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC)

Climate Change

• “The Benefit Of Organic Agriculture For Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Mitigating And Adapting To Climate Change” – an excellent letter on this subject submitted to several Congressional Committees in 2009 by the National Organic Coalition and the Center For Food Safety.

Federal Farm Bill

• “Review Specialty Crop and Organic Agriculture Program in Advance of the 2012 Farm Bill”, testimony of the National Organic Coalition to the U.S. House Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Programs (July 21, 2010)
• Results and Analysis of Organic in the 2008 Farm Bill (National Organic Coalition - PDF)

Relevent NOFA Notes articles:

• 2007 Farm Bill Report
  (Spring 2007, Page 14)

Food Safety

Federal Food Safety Legislation Updates

• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
• National Organic Coalition -- testimony & comments on recently proposed legislation and federal agency regulations
• Food and Water Watch
• The Center for Food Safety
  

Relevent NOFA Notes

• Food Safety Legislation Threatens Local Food Systems (Winter 2009, Page 6)
• Policy Update: Food Safety (Spring 2009, Page 3)
• Food Systems and Food Safety (Spring 2008, Page 8)

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Genetically Modified (GM) or Genetically Engineered (GE) organisims pose human and environmental health risks and are strictly prohibited by organic standards.

GMO Salmon

• Food and Water Watch
• The Center for Food Safety

GMO Alfalfa

• National Organic Coalition GE Alfalfa statement
• Leahy Asks USDA To Keep Rules On Genetically Engineered Alfalfa
• National Organic Coalition: Comments to USDA on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Recommending the Deregulation of Genetically Engineered Alfalfa

Relevent NOFA Notes

• Are You Still Listening, Secretary Vilsack? (Spring 2010, Page 6)
• Sweet Success: Vermont takes on Genetically Engineered Sugar Beets
  (Fall ‘09, Page 6)

National Organic Policies & Regulations

• USDA National Organic Program (NOP)
  The NOP develops, implements, and administers national production, handling, and labeling standards for organic agricultural products. It also accredits the certifying agents (foreign and domestic) who inspect organic production and handling operations to certify that they meet USDA standards. VOF (Vermont Organic Farmers, LLC) is Vermont’s USDA-accredited certifying agency.
• “National Organic Coalition Enthusiastic About USDA/OIG Report On National Organic Program “
• National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)
  The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, part of the 1990 Farm Bill, authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to appoint a 15-member National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The Board’s main mission is to make recommendations about whether a substance should be allowed or prohibited in organic production or handling. The current board is comprised of four farmers/growers, two  handlers/processors, one retailer, one scientist, three consumer/public interest advocates, three environmentalists, and one USDA accredited certifying agent who sit on various committees. Members come from all four U.S. regions.
• NOFA Vermont's comments on NOSB reccommendations, November 2008
• National Organic Action Plan - From the Margins to the Mainstream— Advancing Organic Agriculture in the U.S.
• National Organic Coalition’s Transition Recommendations for the Obama Administration

Organic Dairy

Organic dairy industry news and policy updates

• Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA)
• NOFA Vermont's comments to the NOP regarding the proposed pasture rule, December 2008
• NOFA Vermont's letter to Secretary Johanns regarding the Access to Pasture rule, 2007
• Testimony for the Hearing on Economic Impacts
  of Production, Processing and Marketing Organic Agriculture Products: Impacts of Organic Dairy Farming in Vermont, 2007

Relevent NOFA Notes

• Vermont’s Dairy Crisis
  (Summer 2006, Page 6)
• The Future of Organic Milk Markets
  (Winter 2006, Page 10)