Initiative is part of the American Rescue Plan.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday details of an up to $300 million investment in an Organic Transition Initiative. The program is intended to boost revenue streams for farmers and producers.
According to the USDA, the number of farmers transitioning to organic production fell over 70 percent since 2008, which the new infusion of funding from the American Rescue Plan is expected to reverse, increasing the production of organically-raised food.
The Environmental Protection Agency says organically grown food “is food grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.“ Pesticides derived from natural sources, such as biological pesticides, may be used in producing organically grown food.
“Farmers face challenging technical, cultural, and market shifts while transitioning to organic production, and even during the first years after successful organic certification,” stated Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Through this multi-phased, multi-agency initiative, we are expanding USDA’s support of organic farmers to help them with every step of their transition as they work to become certified and secure markets for their products.”
USDA data shows China owns over 191,000 acres of U.S. land, but that number was before the purchase made in North Dakota this spring acquiring over 300 acres. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has acquired nearly 270,000 acres of farmland across the country. Roughly 900 million total farm acres are in production in America.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary Vilsack as he oversees the Organic Transition Initiative.
- For the president and his administration as funding is distributed under the American Rescue Plan.
- For the U.S. farmers and producers who seek to transition to organic production.
Sources: The Hill, AG Web, AP
