Bill > S3717

This bill, titled the "Opportunities in Organic Act," aims to significantly expand and enhance the national organic certification cost-share program, which helps farmers and handlers cover the expenses of becoming certified organic. The legislation renames the program to "Opportunities in Organic program" and broadens its scope to include not only cost-sharing for certification but also crucial support and technical assistance for farmers transitioning to organic practices and for ongoing organic management. It defines key terms like "certified organic farm," "eligible nonprofit organization," and "transition to organic," which refers to the steps needed to achieve organic certification. The bill authorizes funding for eligible nonprofit organizations to build capacity and provide direct support for this transition, including activities like recruitment, translation services, application assistance, financial planning, and technical guidance on organic farming methods. It also establishes a "Transition and Resilience Funding" component to provide four-year grants to support existing organic operations, socially disadvantaged farmers, or small to mid-sized farms in adopting organic practices, improving infrastructure, and offsetting income losses during the transition. Furthermore, the bill allocates funds for organic supply chain development, aiming to strengthen capacity and market access for organic producers, with a particular focus on supporting socially disadvantaged farmers and underserved regions. Finally, it mandates increased regional resources for technical assistance, outreach, and supply chain coordination through various government agencies, universities, and nonprofit organizations, and requires detailed reporting on the program's impact, including demographics of participants, success rates of transition, and identified barriers to organic certification.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3717/all-info