Organic Report Fall 2021 - Flipbook - Page 50
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Organic has a bright future —
but only if USDA does its part to advance standards
“Consumers trust that when they buy food
marketed as organic, it meets a high standard
approved by the USDA. But federal bureaucracy for
the past 20 years has gotten in the way of
improvements supported by the organic sector,
inhibiting innovation in the industry. I’m proud to
introduce legislation that will help improve
transparency and accountability at the USDA as it
considers regulations strongly supported by the
industry. It’s time for USDA to cut the red tape,
expeditiously act, and allow improvements that
both the industry and consumers demand.”
O
rganic has come a long way since 1990, the year
Senator Leahy and I authored the Organic Foods
Production Act, which established federal standards
for organic food and farming. More than 30 years later, the
industry has skyrocketed from less than a billion in sales to
$62 billion today. Organic has always been at the cutting edge
of a progressive food and farming system that connects with
consumers looking for options that protect their health, while
also upholding the health and well-being of animals and our
planet. The future of organic is bright. However, it depends
upon a transparent, accountable and responsive USDA
National Organic Program that ensures consistent and fair
application and advancement of organic regulations.
I recently led members of the House Organic Caucus in
introducing the Continuous Improvement and Accountability
in Organic Standards Act (CIAO)--bipartisan legislation to
improve USDA’s process for oversight of organic food
standards. The bill would establish a new framework for
advancing standards and improving oversight and
enforcement of new rules and guidance while clearing
regulatory red tape that has hampered innovation within the
industry.
It is important to remember that organic is a voluntary
program for those who choose to meet strict federal standards
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to market their products under the USDA Organic seal. In
fact, the very purpose of the Organic Foods Production Act is
to “establish national standards” and “assure consumers that
organically produced products meet a consistent standard,”
overseen by the USDA National Organic Program. However,
the USDA’s inaction has stifled innovation. In the past two
decades, the organic sector has advanced, by consensus, 20
recommendations to USDA to improve organic standards, yet
USDA has never acted on any proposal.
We must ensure that the organic industry and consumers
are able to thrive in the decades to come. The CIAO bill will
help industry advance organic standards and allow the USDA
Organic Program to meet the growing consumer and
environmental demands on our food system.
Congressman Peter A. DeFazio has represented Oregon’s
fourth congressional district since 1986. He currently serves
as the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure. In 1990, he introduced the Organic Foods
Production Act in the House and secured its inclusion in the
farm bill. He is the founder and Co-Chair of the House Organic
Caucus, a bipartisan group of over 50 lawmakers that
supports organic agriculture and looks for opportunities to
inform policy and advance the sector.
Organic Report • Fall 2021
