GO ORGANIC! EDUCATION CORNER

Welcome to our new Organic Education Corner! We will update this page regularly to keep you up to date on the latest national and Georgia-based opportunities, research, resources, and policy.

SCIENCE/RESEARCH

  • (added on April 15, 2026) New research published in Organic Agriculture highlights the potential of black cumin (Nigella sativa) seed extract as a natural alternative to antibiotics in broiler chicken production. Read more here!

FEATURED RESOURCE

NEWS

  • (added on April 15, 2026) A new bipartisan bill called the Risk-Based Oversight for Integrity Act (ROI Act) has been introduced to improve how organic farms are monitored in the U.S. Instead of treating all farms the same, the bill would:

    • Focus inspections and oversight on farms that pose higher risk of violating organic rules

    • Reduce paperwork and inspection frequency for low-risk U.S. farms

    • Keep strict annual inspections for international operations

    It also would require the USDA to study and develop better risk-based inspection methods over the next year, with input from farmers and others in the organic community.

    Overall, the goal is to protect the integrity of organic products while making the system more efficient and less burdensome for farmers who are following the rules.

    The Organic Farmers Association and the Organic Trade Association are continuing to advocate for this legislation both as a standalone and as part of the Farm Bill. 

  • (added on March 31, 2026) Rodale Institute shares new findings from one of their most important research reports. The big takeaway? Diversified, certified organic farms consistently outperform conventional farms on net income, even with slightly lower yields.

  • (added on March 31, 2026) Organic Certification and Farmer Resiliency: How Can Farmers Overcome Transition Barriers and Remain Organic? -A new ATTRA publication takes an in-depth look at the challenges of organic certification from farmers' viewpoint.

  • (added on March 31, 2026) The National Organic Program (NOP) has published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to amend the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances and implement the following recommendations:

    • Allow carbon dioxide in organic crop production.

    • Allow meloxicam as a pain treatment in organic livestock.

    • Remove restrictions on the use of methionine in organic poultry feed.

    • Affirm that natural sodium nitrate is allowed in organic crop production, with certain conditions to protect soil quality.

    You can submit a public comment on these proposed changes! USDA welcomes comments on the proposed changes published in the Federal Register. The public comment period will close on May 22, 2026.

  • (added on March 25, 2026) Organic Trade Week 2025 Recap: What Farmers Need to Know Going into 2026

  • (added on March 16, 2026) USDA Renews 56 Substances on the National List - The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) has renewed 56 substances to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, the list within the organic regulations that identifies synthetic substances that may be used and the nonsynthetic (natural) substances that may not be used in organic crop and livestock production. A complete list of the renewed substances can be found in the Federal Register notice. 

EVERGREEN RESOURCES