U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Angus King (I-ME) and Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01) and Annie Kuster (D-NH-02) have introduced legislation 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 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program, which aims to solve supply chain gaps for the organic market through grants to farmers and businesses as demand increases for organic products.
The legislation is supported by a wide range of organizations, including the Organic Trade Association, Organic Valley, Stonyfield, Organic Farmers Association, Clif Bar, Whole Foods Market, Organic Produce Association, General Mills, Organically Grown Company, Natural Resources Defense Council, California Certified Organic Farmers, Sustainable Strategies LLC, Organic Farming Research Foundation, Danone, PURIS Proteins, Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, Oregon Tilth, Diestel Family Ranch, Organics Unlimited, Pennsylvania Certified Organic, and MOSA Certified Organic.
The Organic Market Development Act is a critical piece of legislation that will help to ensure that the United States can meet the growing demand for organic products. By investing in organic infrastructure and market development, the act will help to create more jobs, boost the economy, and provide consumers with more choices of healthy and sustainable food.
A one-pager on this legislation can be found here. An online version of this release is available here.
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Categories: Wisconsin, Business