Follow the National Organic Standards Board Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA #NOSB

Join The Cornucopia Institute as we keep you informed via live tweet and web updates from the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting in Pittsburgh, PA October 23-25th.

We will be sharing the play by play both below and with our Twitter followers, at #NOSB or by simply following our stream.

For background on issues up for discussion at the meeting, see:

• Cornucopia’s formal written comments on 1) oversight improvements to deter fraud, and 2) synthetic methionine and other petitioned issues, organic livestock, and organic integrity.
• A synopsis of webinar testimonials from October 15th and 17th.
• Marie Burcham’s oral testimony before the NOSB (webinar)
• Anne Ross’ oral testimony before the NOSB (coming soon)

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

8:55 AM ET: Opening Remarks 

Dr. Jennifer Tucker, Deputy Administrator of the NOP, welcomes all to the fall 2019 NOSB meeting.

A-dae is unable to attend and there is one vacancy on the board. A decisive vote will require nine votes.

Harriet Behar, chair of the NOSB, welcomes everyone and thanks the board for their work.
Each board member introduced themselves.

Behar listed the problems stakeholders have noted over the past several years:

• Languishing recommendations, including the native ecosystems rule, origin of livestock rule, and pasture rule;
• Accreditation process is not as robust as it needs to be, leading to certifiers allowing glyphosate to be sprayed in hydroponic greenhouses; and
• The finding that hydroponic is organic despite over 10,000 comments to the contrary.

Behar continued, stating that:

Organic agriculture provides a solution to the many environmental crises. Organic agriculture can feed the world and is key to our future. We must keep improving the implementation and meaning of organic and prevent interests seeking only profits from watering down the process.

Dr. Tucker, Deputy Administrator of the NOP then gives an overview of the agenda:

• Additional resources going to new rules, expanded partnerships and new people
• Overarching 4 goals: (1) strong organic control systems (2) farm to market traceability (3) robust enforcement’s (4) support standards
• Key areas in 2020: strengthening organic enforcement, Origin of Livestock Rule, and Enforcement
• Import certification: customs will be building import certificate into its system
• International Arrangements: continue to build relationships
• Deepened federal partnerships
• Going to be launching noncompliance library and certifier portal
• Robust Enforcement:  Broadened tool kit over last year.  focusing on imports, livestock compliance, and grain and oilseed handling.

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