New legislation was introduced in both chambers of Congress to give organic producers the tools they need to increase their capacity, reach new markets, and grow their businesses.
The Organic Market Development Act would codify and increase support for a newly announced USDA program that aims to solve supply chain gaps for the organic market through grants to farmers and businesses as demand increases for organic products. In 2021, U.S. sales of organic food products reached $52 billion, nearly doubling the sales done in 2010. Senate bill sponsor Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) says the legislation will build on the success of the Organic Market Development Grant Program and allow more producers to access these resources and tools to grow America’s agriculture economy.
The legislation builds on the initial $75 million annual authorization by maintaining the base CCC investment and adds $25 million in appropriations for 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter.
