National Organic Coalition

US_Capitol_DomeNational Organic Certification Cost Share (NOCCS) is a top item for Farm Bill Conference.   The House Bill repeals Certification Cost Share and the Senate Bill fully funds the program.

If you live or work in any of the States/Districts listed below, please call your conference member (see below)
and ask them to:
  

“Support the National Organic Certification Cost Share program”

Find the Fact Sheet HERE for more information about the NOCCS .

The organic community is united in support of the organic certification cost share Program.  During the past year, certification cost share has been unavailable to organic handlers in all states and organic farmers in 34 states, because the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (NOCCSP) has been suspended.

The time is now for the House and Senate to restore this funding
in the 2014 Farm Bill.

Organic Certification Cost Share Helps:

  • Keep Organic Production in the United States — Meeting Strong US Consumer Demand for Organic with U.S. Organic Product
  • Enable Farmers and Handlers to Access the Growing Organic Market and Meet Consumer Demand
  • Ensure Integrity and Consistency of the Organic Label
  • Encourage Value-Added Processing Infrastructure for Organic Farmers; and
  • Keep a Diversity of Farms Certifying as Organic

Call your Representative/Senator on the
Farm Bill Conference Committee in the following states

 STATE  REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR  DISTRICT   PHONE #
 Alabama  Rep. Mike Rogers  R-3rd 202-225-4872
 Alabama  Rep. Martha Roby  R-2nd 202-225-2901
 Arkansas  Rep. Rick Crawford  R-1st 202-225-4076
 Arkansas  Sen. John Boozman  R-statewide 202-224-4843
 California  Rep. Jeff Denham  R-10th 202-225-4540
 California  Rep. Jim Costa  D-16th 202-225-3341
 California  Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod  D-35th 202-225-6161
 Colorado  Sen. Michael Bennet  D-statewide 202-224-5852
 Florida  Rep. Steve Southerland  R-2nd 202-225-5235
 Georgia  Sen. Saxby Chambliss  R-statewide 202-224-3521
 Georgia  Rep. Austin Scott  R-8th 202-225-6531
 Illinois  Rep. Rodney Davis  R-13th 202-225-2371
 Iowa  Rep. Steve King  R-4th 202-225-4426
 Iowa  Sen. Tom Harkin  D-statewide 202-224-3254
 Kansas  Sen. Pat Roberts  R-statewide 202-224-4774
 Mass.  Rep. Jim McGovern  D-2nd 202-225-6101
 Michigan  Chairwoman Sen. Debbie  Stabenow  D-statewide 202-224-4822
 Minnesota  Ranking Member Collin Peterson  D-7th 202-225-2165
 Minnesota  Sen. Amy Klobuchar  D-statewide 202-224-3244
 Minnesota  Rep. Tim Walz  D-1st 202-225-2472
 Mississippi  Sen. Thad Cochran  R-statewide 22-224-5054
 Montana  Sen. Max Baucus  D-statewide 202-224-2651
 N. Carolina  Rep. Mike McIntyre  D-7th 202-225-2731
 N. Dakota  Sen. John Hoeven  R-statewide 202-224-2551
 Ohio  Sen. Sherrod Brown  D-statewide 202-224-2315
 Ohio  Rep. Marcia Fudge  D-11th 202-225-7032
 Oklahoma  Chairman Frank D. Lucas  R-3rd 202-225-5565
 Oregon  Rep. Kurt Schrader  D-5th 202-225-5711
 Penn.  Rep. Glenn Thompson  R-5th 202-225-5121
 S. Dakota  Rep. Kristi Noem  R-statewide 202-225-2801
 Texas  Rep. K. Michael Conaway  R-11th 202-225-3605
 Texas  Rep. Randy Neugebauer  R-19th 202-225-4005
 Texas  Rep. Filemon Vela  D-34th 202-225-9901
 Vermont  Sen. Patrick Leahy  D-statewide 202-224-4242
 Washington  Rep. Suzan DelBene  D-1st

202-225-6311

The Senate Farm Bill (S. 954) includes a provision to merge the two programs together under the AMA program umbrella, using the permanent funding baseline of that program in a manner that provides $11.5 million annually for organic certification cost share.   The House Farm Bill (H.R. 2642) repeals the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program, and continues to provide 10 percent of AMA program funding ($1 million annually) for organic farmers (not handlers), but only for farmers in 16 designated AMA states.

The organic community is united in support of the Senate Farm Bill’s effort to streamline organic certification cost share, by consolidating programs.

DOWNLOAD A PDF OF THIS DOCUMENT

For more information, contact:
Steve Etka, National Organic Coalition, 703-519-7772; [email protected]

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