Organic consumers drive the market, and organic farmers  are committed to growing food that upholds the values important to you.  We’re in this together to defend organic integrity. 

The organic market could not have been so successful without support from both consumers and organic farmers—we depend on each other and must stand united to defend organic integrity.  

Organic Farmers Association is committed to organic production rooted in organic integrity—ensuring that the USDA organic label upholds the gold standards consumers expect.  However, over the past few years the organic market has grown at such speeds that the USDA has let some issues slide. Consumers and farmers must work together to demand for policy changes to defend the quality of organic food and values based in organic farming.   Through Organic Farmers Association’s work in Washington, DC organic farmers and consumers are working collaboratively to:  

Protect our market from fraudulent organic imports. 

Too many times, shipments of fraudulent organic grains have slipped by Customs and Border Protection and infiltrated the U.S. grain market with cheap fraudulent grains—hurting both U.S. organic farmers and consumers. The USDA National Organic Program must better enforce this issue, and we need the voices of consumers like you to join us in advocating for change.

Ensure organic farming is rooted in the soil.  

Healthy soil is essential to healthy organic food, healthy ecosystems, and protecting our natural resources.  A food system grown outside of soil cannot be certified organic, yet the USDA National Organic Program has allowed this.  Organic farmers and consumers feel this is not right and we need to continue to demand that organic be returned to the soil.   

Demand that the high organic standards for dairy are enforced and upheld.    

The USDA NOP has allowed some large CAFO dairies to skirt the pasture requirements and organic transition requirements to enable larger dairy facilities.  Consumers and farmers must continue to fight this together demanding that organic principles be upheld equitably and uniformly and that the bad actors be eliminated from the organic label.  

While all of these issues threaten the integrity of the USDA organic label, together we can rectify them by putting pressure on the USDA to enforce the organic standards, strive for continual improvement, and demonstrate equity and transparency in the way they administer the National Organic Program.  Organic farmers and consumers must together fight for policies that ensure better standards and enforcement.

You can help support more organic farmers lift their voices to legislators and USDA staff to pressure changes that will improve the integrity of the USDA organic label.  Join OFA as a supporter member to receive action alerts and support organic farmers working to defend your healthy food. This Organic Month, all supporter members can join for $57 and receive a free OFA water bottle.