WASHINGTON, DC - A big win for organics recently came down the pipeline. The Continuous Improvement in Organic Standards Act (CIAO) is a product of a coalition of industry partners including the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, Organic Trade Association (OTA), Organic Produce Association, National Organic Coalition, and the Organic Farmer’s Association. The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) applauds these efforts.
“IFPA thanks Reps. Dan Newhouse, Jimmy Panetta, Salud Carbajal, Chellie Pingree, and David Valadao and our fellow members of the industry coalition for support of the Continuous Improvement in Organic Standards Act of 2023,” said IFPA’s Vice President of U.S. Government Relations Rebeckah Adcock. “Since the first nationwide standards were established in 2000, the network of requirements and regulations that monitor the organic industry have been a gold standard for food and agricultural systems around the world.”
IFPA has worked closely with OTA and Northwest Hort to secure a Republican lead on the bill, Rep. Newhouse (R-WA), and a Democratic lead, Rep. Panetta (D-CA). The bill is expected to improve the National Organic Program by establishing a process by which the USDA solicits input every five years from organic stakeholders regarding what (if any) organic standards are in need of updating.
The 1990 Organic Foods Production Act set out to “establish national standards” that help consumers know the products they’re purchasing are produced in a consistent way. Since the first nationwide standards were established in 2000, the network of requirements and regulations that monitor the organic industry has been a gold standard for food and agricultural systems around the world. However, over the past several years, the federal regulatory apparatus has fallen behind, slowing innovation and continuous improvement within the industry, according to a press release.
This is one of 15 bills that have been introduced to Congress directed at the reauthorization of the 2023 Farm Bill, which has the support of IFPA and the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance.
For more from IFPA and OTA, check out the press release here.
And keep reading ANUK for more industry news.
