Organic Advocacy Priorities
Organic Farmers Leading Policy Change
Organic Food and Agriculture Advocacy
Why Advocacy?
Policy advocacy empowers organic farmers and supporters to actively shape organic food and farm legislation and regulation, fostering a system that supports farm viability, ensures product integrity for consumers, and provides farmers necessary resources for growth.
In recent years, OFA has achieved significant victories:
– Championed the Origin of Livestock Rule: A crucial rule to help level the playing field for organic dairies.
– Pushed for the Strengthening Organic Enforcement Rule: To combat fraud and ensure integrity within the organic market.
– Introduced the ODAIRY Act of 2023: Legislation to improve the organic dairy sector.
– Advocated for the Organic Livestock and Poultry Rule: To secure stronger animal welfare standards for organic livestock.
Together we can work to shape a more sustainable and just food system.
Ever since George Washington established the National Agriculture Board back in 1799, government policy and agriculture have been closely connected. Policy impacts every step of an organic operation from farm to market, and it’s important for organic farmers to be represented. Today, organic is a $47 billion industry in the United States, and while farmers are busy running their operations, Washington, D.C. never sleeps. Organic Farmers Association works hard to be your representation on a national level on issues important to your farm.
OFA's Policy Process at a Glance
At Organic Farmers Association (OFA) ONLY independent certified organic farmers guide our policies and priorities. We believe that farmer voices should shape agricultural policy, and we work to take farmer priorities to Washington D.C.
1) Solicit opinions from all U.S. certified organic operations and Organization members annually, including policy position proposals.
2) Draft policy statements. Ultimately, Farmer Members will vote.
3) For a position to become adopted as Organic Farmers Association policy, it must have 60% of the popular national vote and 60% popular support in at least two-thirds of the regions.”
OFA Policy Resources
Policy Positions
OFA solicits input on policy priorities and policy positions from all U.S. certified organic farmers and organic farm organizations. The OFA Policy Committee then reviews the results, identifies the top priorities, and drafts policy statements from the broad-based solicitation to submit to OFA members for comment. In May, certified organic farm members of Organic Farmers Association vote on the year’s proposed policy positions.
OFA’s Annual Policy Survey
Each year, the Organic Farmers Association asks ALL CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARMERS and organic farm organizations to tell us your top policy priorities and policy positions. We welcome all certified organic farmers to participate in this stage of the process, but only Certified Organic Farm MEMBERS of OFA will be able to vote on the final policies. If you have not yet joined as an OFA member, please join today!
Action Alerts
Looking for change in Washington, D.C? We need YOU to take action! See OFA’s most pressing action alerts needed for vibrant organic farms and send a message to your legislators to ask them to support organic.
Farm Bill Priorities
Not only do the policies and programs in the Farm Bill affect organic farmers, but the funding of those programs has a huge impact on how we’re able to move more U.S. agriculture to organic methods.
Letters to Your Legislators
Writing letters, either physical or digital, are effective ways to communicate position and policy requests. The amount of mail received on an issue can help determine the congress member’s position on an issue.
Comments, Letters & Testimonies
Comments to the USDA and other agencies, letters to congress and the USDA, and testimony to the NOSB from OFA that document our positions on issues that affect organic farmers.
Questions? Reach Out!
OFA’s Policy Director
Lily Hawkins joined Organic Farmers Association as Policy Director in 2022. As Policy Director, Lily leads OFA policy work under the direction of the elected policy committee and coordinates closely with the Organic Farmers Association staff and Governing Council. Lily leads work on the farm bill, identifies Organic Farmers Association farmer members’ policy priorities, connects members with Congressional leaders, and ensures that our federal policies help support thriving independent organic farmers.
Lily(at)OrganicFarmersAssociation.org | 267-231-2216