The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on April 10 announced details of a $75 million investment in conservation assistance for producers who transition to organic production as part of the multi-agency Organic Transition Initiative (OTI).
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will dedicate financial and technical assistance to a new organic management standard and partnerships with organic experts to increase staff capacity and expertise as more producers go organic, according to a release by the USDA.
“Producers transitioning to organic can count on NRCS for assistance through the process,” NRCS Chief Terry Cosby said in the release. “By strengthening our technical proficiency and providing technical and financial assistance through new tools and practices, we can better support producers through the challenges of organic transition.”
The investment will include funds from the 2020 CARES Act, and it will aim to strengthen local and regional food systems, promote climate-smart agriculture and ensure equity for all producers, the USDA announced. Under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), NRCS will dedicate $70 million to help producers meet the new organic management standard by getting additional education, attending workshops or requesting help from experts or mentors. It supports conservation practices required for organic certification and may provide foregone income reimbursement for dips in production during the transition period, the USDA explained.
Producers will have flexibility in how they receive assistance, such as attending workshops or seeking help from experts or mentors, to adopt the organic management standard and meet conservation practices required for organic certification.
The program also includes provisions for foregone income reimbursement during the transition period to account for potential dips in production. The NRCS will prioritize underserved producers, including socially disadvantaged, beginning, veterans and limited resource farmers and ranchers, by offering higher payment rates and other options to support their transition to organic production.
