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As a new administration is set to take power in less than two weeks, here are the top 5 organic industry storylines for the year ahead.
CONGRESS CUTS FUNDING FOR ORGANIC, REPERCUSSIONS WILL BE DISASTROUS
Just as many of us were off on a holiday vacation at the end of the December, Congress passed a last-minute spending package to prevent a government shutdown and extended the Farm Bill for another year. Yet, lost in all of the headlines was that funding for vital organic programs was excluded.
Though the cost is minuscule in relation to the overall Farm Bill, just over $10 million per year, the damage to our industry will be severe.
Among other things, thousands of organic farms and businesses across the U.S. will see a big jump in the cost of getting certified, and an inability to purchase critical technology infrastructure will cripple efforts to enforce organic regulations and prevent fraud.
“Congress’s failure to fund these essential programs is a short-sighted decision that jeopardizes the future of organic agriculture in the United States,” said Abby Youngblood, executive director of the National Organic Coalition.
WHO IS THE CERTIFIER?
The uncomfortable truth in organic is that even though there is only one USDA organic seal, there are two different sets of rules that are enforced in the field. Some organic certifiers allow hydroponics and livestock factories, while others do not.
This has resulted in a tremendous disparity of quality among USDA certified organic products, evidenced by the test results in the 2017 Washington Post blockbuster investigation of organic milk. It is also the reason why The Cornucopia Institute has so many organic product scorecards.
To further bring attention to this issue, watchdog group OrganicEye recently published its list of certifiers (below) who are upholding the highest ethical standards and those who are ethically-challenged.
Just as many consumers expect brands to uphold the highest ethical practices, these same shoppers will pressure brands to switch to the most ethical certifiers. Simultaneously, CEOs of brands will start asking themselves if their certifier operates with the same ethics and values that they do.
The days of organic certifiers being able to avoid scrutiny from consumers and brands will come to an end in 2025.
(Image above is sourced from OrganicEye)
MANDATORY BABY FOOD TESTING WILL HAVE A MASSIVE RIPPLE EFFECT
If we were waiting for one critical event to spur a huge increase in the testing of organic products, we have just gotten it.
As of January 1st, 2025, a law went into effect in California that requires all baby food brands to use an accredited lab to test representative samples of any infant and toddler food at least once a month for levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. And these test results must be made public on their websites, accessible by scanning a QR code on the baby food label with a smartphone.
While this new law only applies only to sales of baby food in California, both conventional and organic, many major manufacturers will likely roll out QR codes on baby and toddler foods nationwide.
Furthermore, as the parents of these baby foods will soon become accustomed to having access to this testing data, it will result in two things. One, the parents will start to expect the same tests from non-baby food products. Two, organic brands will come to see that testing for pesticides and contaminants will give them a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
The ripple effect that this California law will have cannot be overstated.
ALL-ORGANIC TRADE SHOW: BIOFACH AMERICA
While Natural Products Expo West is unquestionably a very important event for our industry, there has been growing consternation among many organic leaders about the allowance of GMO 2.0 foods at the show — as these foods pose an existential threat to organic. Additionally, New Hope even published a white paper that argues that precision fermentation (GMO 2.0) has a place in the natural products industry.
This June in Atlanta, BIOFACH AMERICA will be hosting an all-organic trade show in the U.S. for the very first time. Aside from GMOs being strictly forbidden, the same holds true for “natural” and non-organic “regenerative” products.
A great deal of buzz and interest in BIOFACH AMERICA has been percolating over the last few weeks, as people are viewing this show as something very important to get behind and essential for the long-term health of the organic industry.
WHAT WILL THE NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM LOOK LIKE UNDER TRUMP 2.0?
Prior to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. being named as the nominee to run Health and Human Services, we speculated about what organic would look like under Trump 2.0 and how much leeway RFK, Jr. would have in implementing policies favorable to our industry.
However, given that Brooke Rollins was nominated to run the USDA and with uncertainty as to where she stands on agricultural policy, we are left with a different set of questions.
How favorably or unfavorably does she view organic? What is the relationship between RFK, Jr. — a staunch advocate for organic and regenerative, and someone vehemently opposed to toxic pesticides — and Brooke Rollins? And will he have any influence with her, in terms of pushing his health agenda?
According to Politico, Brooke Rollins recently met with Democratic Senators Peter Welch (VT) and Raphael Warnock (GA), and these conversations were characterized as “productive” and “impressive.”
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With gratitude, 
Max Goldberg, Founder |
As a result of Salmonella, the Costco egg recall affects the Kirkland Signature brand, organic pasture-raised eggs. Handsome Brook Farms first issued the voluntary recall in late November.
Someone must be held accountable for this poisoning of America's farmland.
For a food product to qualify as "healthy," it has to contain certain amounts of at least one of the food groups included in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and it also has to fall below certain limits on added sugars, sodium and saturated fat.
The Non-GMO and organic producer of crackers, cookies, snack bars and baking mixes was acquired by Flowers Foods.
An additional $8.7 million was given to help dairy producers mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs, bringing total Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program 2024 payments to more than $31 million.
A group of non-profits, including Center for Food Safety and Earthjustice, has sued the FDA because the agency has refused advocates' calls to update the safety assessments -- which are at least forty years old.
An absolute travesty, but this is what happens when Big Ag flexes its muscles.
The topics addressed by the rule include mushroom substrate composition and labeling requirements for organic pet food.
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