National Organic Standards Board
Spring Meeting 2022
Comment Period Open through April 1, 2022
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) generally meets twice each year in a public forum to discuss and vote on recommendations to the USDA. These recommendations help the Department develop and refine the organic standards.
Based on input from the Board and members of the organic community, the NOSB will meet virtually in April 2022.
NOSB Public Comment Webinars (two days)
- April 19 & 21, 2022; Noon - 5:00 pm Eastern Time
NOSB Public Meeting (three days)
- April 26-28, 2022; Noon - 5:00 pm Eastern Time
Stakeholder Engagement Encouraged
The NOSB invites public comment, both written and oral, on its agenda topics. Interested parties are encouraged to review the online meeting materials, including the tentative agenda, subcommittee proposals, and discussion documents.
Deadlines: To be considered during the Spring 2022 Meeting, written comments must be received by 11:59 pm ET on Friday, April 1, 2022. This gives the Board time to review the comments before the meeting.
Oral comment speaking slots are limited to the number that can be heard during the two webinar days. Speaking slots often fill up quickly, and registration may close prior to April 1, 2022.
All meeting materials, including the agenda, public comment registration links, and details on how to submit written comments are on the NOSB Spring 2022 Meeting webpage.
Memo to National Organic Standards Board
Work Agenda Request:
Organic Farming and Climate-Smart Agriculture
The National Organic Program (NOP) recently sent a Work Agenda Memo to the NOSB requesting that the Board initiate a collaborative community dialogue about the links between organic farming and climate-smart agriculture. This memo responds to the NOSB letter to Secretary Vilsack from October 2021.
The Biden Administration has publicly announced its commitment to curbing climate change, and USDA is interested in developing and rolling out climate-smart agricultural strategies and resources for producers. The NOSB letter to the Secretary emphasized how organic agriculture exemplifies the principles of climate-smart agriculture and therefore should play a prominent role in USDA work to reduce the carbon footprint of the agricultural sector in the United States.
Organic agriculture has great potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, sequester carbon, and increase agricultural resilience to changing climate patterns. NOSB can both play a critical role in helping certified organic and transitioning farmers communicate how organic supports climate-smart agriculture and connect organic farmers with resources and technical assistance. NOP anticipates that this work agenda item for the Board will facilitate important discussions among the organic community and result in effective strategies to assist organic farmers and those transitioning to organic.
Organic Agriculture Research and
Extension Initiative
Request for Application
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) published a Request for Application. The purpose of this program is to fund projects that will enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market high-quality organic agricultural products. The application deadline is March 31, 2022.
Details and Application Link: Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative
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