HHRA and ORG-Tracker, represented by Dr. Chuck Benbrook and Dr. Brian Baker, submitted comments to the Agricultural Marketing Service at the USDA in advance of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting in Portland, Oregon, from October 22nd to 24th, 2024. Drs. Benbrook and Baker will both attend the conference and deliver public comments.
ORG-Tracker is a project carried out by HHRA. It aggregates pesticide residue data from inspections of organic farms carried out by certifiers. The tables generated by ORG-Tracker utilize the results of certifier testing to compare residue frequency and risk levels to food produced on conventional farms.
The team is working to more effectively highlight gaps and challenges faced by certification agencies to answer questions like What crops should we be testing, and where? Is a pesticide residue found in an organic sample likely caused by accident, pesticide drift, or an intentional and illegal application? How can we modify organic programs to better mitigate risk?
The comments delivered to the USDA discuss risk-based certification, pesticide residue testing, and policies impacting the incorporation of so-called inert ingredients in the biopesticides approved for use on organic farms. They argue for a more rigorous, comprehensive, and health-focused approach to risk oversight. Regarding residue testing, they advocate for more expansive and effective data aggregation to inform consumers and the organics community. Finally, for inert ingredients, they recommend further review of current policy, including increased transparency of ingredients in pesticide products.
Thank you to Drs. Benbrook and Baker for your advocacy and hard work!
The three sets of comments are posted on HHRA’s website as part of our policy program:
Written Comments on the NOSB Discussion Document “Residue Testing for the Global Supply Chain”
Comments on the Inert Ingredients in Organic Pesticide Products Proposal dated August 13, 2024
Drs. Benbrook and Baker also submitted and presented comments at the Spring 2024 meeting of the NOSB, which are available on HHRA’s Policy and Regulatory Reform page.