Grow Organic Campaign Congressional Briefing

Last fall, NRDC and our partners at Arizona State University’s Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems and Californians for Pesticides Reform published an extensively research report called Grow Organic, which examines the climate, health and economic benefits of organic agriculture. Organic agriculture is a time-tested, scientifically-supported approach to farming and ranching that centers ecological diversity, soil fertility, and natural systems rather than chemical interventions. 

As Congress grapples with national food and farming policy vis-a-vis the 2023 Farm Bill, we brought the findings of this report to life through the firsthand experience of organic farmers, farmworker advocates, and policy experts in a Congressional briefing with hosted by EESI. This briefing covered how federal policies can support the expansion of organic farming and ranching. Recommendations include reducing barriers to scaling up organic agriculture, ramping up federal resources for organic agriculture, and ensuring just and equitable participation, especially for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Panelists described their perspectives on organic and how these policy reforms can unlock the potential of organic.