Senate Releases Farm Bill Draft

Organic is a fast-growing sector of the U.S. agricultural system, holding enormous potential to address climate change, help family farms flourish, revive rural communities, and protect public health. But for organic agriculture to reach its full potential, policies are needed to strengthen organic integrity, ensure USDA programs work for organic farmers, and expand market access for domestic producers.

The recently passed House Farm Bill missed an important opportunity to support organic farmers. While the draft Farm Bill introduced in the Senate this week eliminates some of the most harmful provisions proposed in the House bill and includes several key policies that the Organic Farmers Association (OFA) has advocated for, the bill still falls short of what is needed in this moment.

What’s in it for Organic Farmers?
Positive:
The Senate bill does a little better for organic farmers than the House version. OFA is pleased to see the following provisions included:

• Language from the Organic Imports Verification Act (OIVA): Restores a level playing field for domestic producers by requiring the USDA to test high-risk bulk imports of organic feedstuffs for prohibited residues. This prevents fraudulent imports from undercutting US organic farmers.
• Language from Risk-Based Oversight for Integrity Act (ROI): Modernizes organic inspections by aligning oversight intensity with actual risk. This reduces administrative burden on low-risk operations while strengthening enforcement where it is needed most.
• Conservation Funding: Slightly increases access to conservation programs for organic and transitioning producers by expanding the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) set-aside (the House bill provides a larger increase).
• National Organic Program (NOP) Funding: Provides small, stable, “stairstep” budget increases to support the long-term growth and oversight of the organic sector.
• Cost-Share Support: Authorizes an additional $8 million in discretionary funding annually, in addition to the existing $8 million mandatory allocation (subject to the annual appropriations process).

Missed Opportunities:
Despite these positive steps, the current draft misses a critical opportunity to invest in organic. Funding increases for existing programs and new policies to expand markets, infrastructure, and research are needed to support domestic organic production. Without these, the bill will leave American producers at a disadvantage during a time of growing consumer demand.

See the full list of marker bills OFA is advocating for throughout the Farm Bill process here.

What comes next?
The biggest sticking point for the Senate Bill is a requirement that some states must soon start paying a share of federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) costs, based on their SNAP payment error rates. Democrats would like to delay the policy’s implementation, and it remains unclear whether there is a path forward for the bill if Republicans do not strike a deal.

If a deal is reached, the bill will still need to be discussed in committee markup, voted on in committee, and eventually voted on the Senate Floor. From there, it must be reconciled with the House bill and returned to each chamber for a final vote before being sent to the White House for signature into law.

Take Action: Protect Domestic Organic Farming
The problem is urgent: American organic farmers are losing ground to foreign imports while navigating an uneven regulatory playing field and inadequate support programs. We need a Farm Bill that puts domestic producers first and truly invests in a healthier, more sustainable food system.

Contact your Senators today and urge them to fight for changes to the Farm Bill that fully back our organic farming communities!