The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has met with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Bill Implementation Team this week to discuss the implementation of organic provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill.
The group included representatives from the Organic Farming Research Foundation, National Organic Coalition, Center for Food Safety, Rodale Institute, National Center for Appropriate Technology, Food and Water Watch, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and Florida Organic Growers.
'This was an historic opportunity to present key information on the significance of these organic provisions to the team charged wih developing the rules implementing the Farm Bill,' said David Gagnon, interim executive director at the OTA.
Arrangements for the event were coordinated by OTA, with USDA deputy undersecretary Floyd Gaibler and deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Congressional Relations Lowell Randall co-hosting the meeting.
Also attending were agency representatives from the Agricultural Marketing Service, National Resources Conservation Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, Risk Management Agency, Agriculture Research Service and the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.
