Wolf & Associates

The National Organic Standards Board meeting is coming soon, with its oral comment period full to bursting. For over five years, Wolf & Associates has advocated for professional support for the National Organic Standards Board, and we’re pleased to see it on the agenda.
A refresher on the purpose of the Sunset process would also be appropriate. The goal is not to whittle down the lists, but to ensure farmers have access to the widest possible set of materials that meet the evaluation criteria…

We’re seeing some good news this month as we look forward to the coming spring. The organic sector is demonstrating resilience and growth, especially for produce and dairy. In Washington, the Biden Administration’s climate change mitigation plans may well benefit of organic agriculture and will likely encourage better soil health.
The next National Organic Standards Board meeting is coming up April 28-30, and the agenda is lighter than last fall’s meeting…

NOP should be praised for its thoughtful response to some of the potentially damaging and inappropriate recommendations voted forward at the Fall NOSB meeting. By prioritizing the work that is really important to protecting the health, growth, and integrity of the organic community, the NOP has its act together to align organic principles and standards…

We will soon be putting 2020 in the rear-view mirror and looking to a new year. I am optimistic that we will be putting both the pandemic and the dangerous extreme social and political rhetoric and action behind us and ushering in a new era of progressive headway in sustainable and organic systems.

2020 has been especially dramatic – disruptive for most of the organic industry, yet highlighting our resiliency.

The Holiday season is different this year, with virtual instead of in-person celebrations, and that’s just one change we’ve had to face this year. Although 2020 has brought more uncertainty and turmoil than any year in recent history, we have much to be thankful for. The resilience of the organic food supply and its verification systems were tested and strengthened. We have learned new ways to communicate and stay connected. Furthermore, I believe that we’ll see continuous improvement in organic regulations, from livestock standards to fraud prevention.

Here in Virginia, fall colors are in full swing, and, despite all the unexpected and unprecedented challenges of 2020, we do have much to be grateful for. Our office’s organic demonstration gardens are ready for winter with nitrogen-fixing cover crops. Working from home has boosted my farm harvests and enabled improved fermented food storage. In addition, my farm reminds me of how much organic operators and the public at large are learning about the connections between climate change, carbon collection, and soil care.

Change is the absolute constant in nature, and in life, and it’s especially the new normal for 2020.

We now have about 50 days to participate in the largest changes to the organic regulations in twenty years. The proposed Strengthening Organic Enforcement regulatory update to the USDA National Organic Program is intended to catch us up to two decades of changes and growth in our industry…

The Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) Proposed Rule is now available for review in advance of its posting for public comment. The most extensive update to the National Organic Program since the program was implemented, the proposed rule is designed to strengthen oversight and enforcement throughout the organic supply chain…

Effective May 30, a new equivalence arrangement between the United States and Taiwan will facilitate trade of organic products between the two countries. Covering crops, wild crops, livestock, and processed products, the arrangement is limited to organic products that have been either raised within the United States or on Taiwan, or…