Submitted by Meredith Kaufman on Mon, 06/12/2017 - 11:18
Research is a critical farm bill topic for organic farmers and ranchers who face unique production challenges. Public institutions like land grant universities rely on federal funds allocated in the farm bill to develop new production methods, inputs, pest controls, and weed management tools that are also compliant with national organic standards. Historically, organic research has been grossly underfunded by farm bill programs.
To address gaps in organic research, Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), and Jimmy Pannetta (D-CA) recently introduced the
Organic Research Act of 2017. This bipartisan bill would create a stable source of funding for ongoing organic research and support the success of organic farmers and ranchers well into the future.
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Meredith Kaufman is a policy intern at CCOF. She attends the University of Colorado Boulder School of Law. She is interested in sustainable community development, as well as food and agriculture policy.