Opportunities in Organic Act

What it does

If passed by Congress, the Opportunities in Organic Act would facilitate transitioning to organic methods for farmers who wish to participate in organic’s environmental and economic benefits. Specifically, this bill would

• Expand technical assistance for producers to advance organic practices, including cover cropping and composting. 

• Make organic practices more accessible for agricultural producers from socially disadvantaged groups and underserved regions by increasing cost-share payments for organic certification and granting USDA flexibility to exceed current cost-share caps. 

• Provide additional support for non-governmental organizations working to help producers transition to organic practices. 

Who supports this bill?

The Opportunities in Organic Act is a bicameral bill, which means it has some support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senator Peter Welch and Representatives Alma Adams and Jimmy Panetta introduced the bill. In the Senate, this bill is referred to as S.1582 and these Senators are already supporting the bill. In the House, this bill is referred to as H.R. 3650 and these Representatives are already supporting the bill.

Dozens of organizations endorse this bill, including the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association and National Organic Coalition.

Want to support this bill?

If your Senators and House Representative aren’t already on the list of cosponsors for the bill:

• Ask your two Senators to “cosponsor the Opportunities in Organic Act, S.1582.”
• Ask your House Representative to “cosponsor the Opportunities in Organic Act, H.R. 3650.”

If your elected officials are already supporting the Opportunities in Organic Act, you can always contact them to thank them and help spread the word among your networks.

Resources

If you’d like to learn more about the Opportunities in Organic Act, you can:

• Find instructions for calling or writing your Senators and Representative (tip: enter your address)
• Track the bill’s progress on Congress.gov or GovTrack
• Learn why lawmakers support this bill (Senator Peter Welch’s press release and Representative Alma Adam’s press release)
• Read the full bill text

See more bills worthy of your support in the 2023 Farm Bill.