News & Research
Stay up-to-date on the latest from OCIA International, our operators, and the organic industry.News: Updates from the Organic Industry
We’ve compiled the latest news from the organic industry to help you stay up-to-date on industry innovations and regulatory updates.
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will meet April 29 – May 1, 2020
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will meet April 29 - May 1, 2020 in Crystal City, VA to discuss substances petitioned for addition to or deletion from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List), substances due to sunset from the...
Changes to OCIA Standards from 2020 AGMM
The 2020 Annual General Membership Meeting (AGMM) voted in favor of changes to the OCIA standards. * The membership voted to revise the definition of "conversion" and "transition." Conversion is defined as "A written program of organic crop improvement designed to...
USDA Providing Funds to Protect and Restore Agricultural Working Lands, Grasslands and Wetlands across Nebraska Applications due April 3, 2020 at USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service offices
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is now accepting applications for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). This program, created under the 2014 Farm Bill and reauthorized in the 2018 Farm Bill, provides funding for the...
Recent EU Policy Change-Certificates of Inspection
The European Commission has announced that Certificates of Inspection must be issued prior to shipments leaving the country of origin. Failure to request a COI prior to shipment (plus allowance for processing time) may result in the product being rejected at port....
Future Leaders in Agriculture Program
The USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture Program offers undergraduate and graduate students in agriculture-related studies an opportunity to meet with producers, policymakers, business, government and industry leaders at the Forum and to discuss issues at the...
Nominations Open for USDA Fruit and Vegetable Advisory Committee
The USDA is accepting nominations to fill vacancies on the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee. FVIAC provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture on issues of importance to the produce industry. The nomination deadline is...
USDA Webinar Provides Overview of the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a webinar to provide an overview of the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program, which was established to create a consistent regulatory framework around hemp production throughout the United States. The webinar discusses...
Organic Agriculture Research Forum
The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and Tuskegee University have announced the 2020 Organic Agriculture Research Forum (OARF) to be presented in partnership with the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG). The Forum takes place on Thursday,...
Proposed Changes to the National List for Organic Crops and Handling
On October 18, 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to amend the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) based on public input and the October 2018 recommendations from the National...