Organic Farmers to Advocate for Policy Needs in Washington D.C.

Next Farm Bill, USDA funding freezes, and import fraud are key priorities

Washington, D.C., February 20, 2025—Organic farmer members, organic organizations and staff of the Organic Farmers Association (OFA) will be in the nation’s capital March 4, 2025, to meet with legislators, House and Senate Agriculture Committee staff, and representatives from the USDA to advocate for supportive policies on key issues within the organic farming sector. 

During OFA’s annual Farmer Fly-In, organic farmers will advocate for organic market development to meet consumer demand and USDA programs that support farmer-investment in their businesses and land with risk management support. 

Other key policy areas being advocated for include:

• The prevention of organic import fraud and stabilization of organic market prices
• Honoring existing government contracts made to farmers and making USDA programs work for not only for conventional producers but also diversified organic farmers
• Investing in organic to promote conservation, build on-farm resilience, and promote farm viability
• Enabling more domestic producers to take advantage of the organic market through strategic marketplace and technical assistance investments
• Investing in organic research to inform conservation practices for all farmers including adaptation to extreme weather
  

“Farmers are best suited to educate our national decision-makers about the challenges they face on the farm and are essential for crafting practical solutions to grow domestic organic farming. Bringing organic farmers to Washington, D.C. puts their voices front and center,” said Executive Director Kate Mendenhall.

In addition to these policies, farmers will highlight the urgent need for a new Farm Bill that supports the interests of organic producers. The current bill has been extended twice and the most recent extension neglected to include three critical organic programs that support farmers: 

1. The Organic Certification Cost Share Program, which can alleviate some of the mandatory, but expensive costs of certification for farmers and that without many farmers may have to abandon their certification; 
2. The Organic Data Initiative, which collects essential data to support organic; and
3. The Organic Certification Trade and Tracking Program, which helps enforce regulations and prevent import fraud.

OFA members will be discussing with legislators why Farm Bill funding isn’t just helpful, it’s essential to growing our food system and domestic food production through innovative practices that boost productivity and preserve natural resources. It’s important we invest in our domestic organic farmers for national food security, rural development, and putting American farmers first in our domestic market.

Organic farmers face numerous hurdles in the course of running their businesses including the cost of organic certification, extreme weather, how to insure their organic crops, and the need for more food system infrastructure. OFA members aim to address these challenges and more during the Farmer Fly-In by building relationships with their legislators to craft policies that will ensure a better future for our country’s food system. This is the 8th annual Farmer Fly-In hosted by OFA. This year 31 farmer members from 14 states will be attending. 

Anyone looking to get involved or support organic farmers can visit the OFA website and take action: organicfarmersassociation.org/take-action 

For more information about the Farm Bill policies OFA and organic farmers are advocating for, visit organicfarmersassociation.org/policy.

OFA organic farmer members can be made available for interviews by contacting OFA Communications Manager Madison Letizia (madison[@]organicfarmersassociation.org).

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About Organic Farmers Association

The Organic Farmers Association (OFA) provides a strong and unified national voice for domestic certified organic producers. OFA builds and supports a farmer-led national organic farmer movement and national policy platform by developing and advocating policies that benefit organic farmers; strengthening and supporting the capacity of organic farmers and farm organizations; and supporting collaboration and leadership among state, regional and national organic farmer organizations.