The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is a federal advisory board that reviews and makes recommendations on a wide range of issues involving the production, handling, and processing of organic products. The NOSB meets twice each year in a public forum to discuss and vote on recommendations to the USDA.
This fall, NOSB plans to meet in Sacramento, California, on October 25 through 27, 2022. CCOF encourages certified organic farmers, ranchers, and business owners to attend the meeting and to consider offering either a written or oral comment, because the NOSB greatly values input from the organic community. See information on providing comments below.
The NOSB conducts sunset reviews of crop, livestock, and handling materials on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. The NOSB also evaluates and makes recommendations on materials petitioned for inclusion on the National List and other issues related to organic regulations. The full agenda, including links to materials being reviewed, petitions, and proposals is here.
For this meeting, oral comments will only be taken during the webinars scheduled for October 18 and 20, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pacific Time. Comments will not be taken during the in-person meeting.
Written comments and signup to present oral comment are due on September 29, though if you intend to present an oral comment, you should sign up as soon as possible because slots can fill up. To sign up for an oral comment slot, go to https://www.ams.usda.gov/event/national-organic-standards-board-nosb-meeting-sacramento-ca-2022, scroll to the bottom of the page, and fill in the form.
Written comments are submitted via Regulations.gov. The instructions state that comments should reference the document number and the date and page number of this issue of the Federal Register. Here is that information: Docket #AMS-NOP-22-0042, published in Federal Register Vol. 87, No. 120, dated June 23, 2022, pages 37495–37496.
Please contact policy@ccof.org for support in submitting oral or written comments.
The in-person meeting will also be available as a live webcast. There is a chance that the meeting will only take place online if circumstances change (such as an uptick in COVID). Updates will be posted to the meeting webpage. Information to access the Zoom webinars and live meeting webcast will also be posted to the meeting webpage.
Meeting Details
Online Comment Webinars: October 18 and 20, 2022, 12–5 p.m. Eastern
In-Person Public Meeting: October 25–27, 2022, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific
Where: Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown - Arena
300 J Street, Sacramento, California 95814
Room Reservation Link (Group Code: NOS)
Room reservation cutoff date: Friday, September 30, 2022
The meeting agenda, subcommittee proposals, discussion documents, and other resources—including details on how to register for oral comment slots and how to submit written comments—are available on the NOSB Fall 2022 Meeting webpage.
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This blog is adapted from a release issued by USDA’s National Organic Program in the September 7, 2022 edition of the Organic Insider.