Sponsors (12)
Introduced February 2, 2026 by James Varni Panetta · Last progress February 2, 2026
The bill provides substantial, targeted federal funding and expanded technical assistance to help producers transition to and expand organic production, but requires significant taxpayer dollars, imposes administrative burdens, and may leave gaps in long-term market support and direct aid to resource-limited producers.
Farmers and eligible nonprofits gain access to predictable, multi-year federal funding (authorized up to $100M/year by FY2030) to support organic transition and program services.
Certified and transitioning organic producers can receive up to $1,500 each to offset organic certification costs, lowering a direct financial barrier to certification.
Nonprofits receive grants for capacity building and transition support, expanding local technical assistance, training, and outreach that help producers convert to organic over a four-year term.
Taxpayers face new appropriations totaling hundreds of millions over multiple years to fund the program, which could crowd out other federal priorities.
Transition payments are limited to a four-year, nonrenewable term, leaving producers at risk of losing support after that period and potentially failing to complete or sustain transitions.
Expanding organic production without guaranteed parallel demand growth could depress prices and harm some producers if market capacity does not keep pace.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Expands a federal organic program to provide certification cost‑shares, nonprofit grants for technical assistance and supply‑chain support, and four‑year transition payments for operations.
Creates an expanded federal organic program that pays certification cost‑shares for producers and handlers, funds nonprofit-delivered technical assistance and capacity building, and provides four-year transition support to help operations convert to organic production. It increases USDA regional technical assistance, requires expanded reporting on participation and outcomes, and authorizes multi-year funding rising from $50 million to $100 million per year through FY2031. The program sets a per-applicant certification cost-share cap of $1,500 while giving the Secretary authority to raise that cap for high-cost areas or socially disadvantaged producers, and directs grants to eligible nonprofits for supply‑chain development and transition/resilience assistance, including a one-time four-year direct transition payment tied to an organic system plan.