Organic Research Funding: Examining and Refuting USDA’s Justifications for Decreasing Dedicated Organic Funding

Editor’s Note: This blog post was co-written by OFRF’s Senior Policy and Programs Manager, Gordon Merrick, in collaboration with partners at NSAC. The post is available on the OFRF website as well. The authors are grateful to work alongside our coalition partners to amplify and strengthen the organic movement.

As the world becomes increasingly attuned to the sustainability and health implications of our food systems, the role of organic agriculture has never been more crucial. Organic management has been shown to not only build resilience in ecological systems, but also in economic ones. However, recent developments in the Presidential Budget Request for fiscal year 2025 (PBR25) reveal a concerning decrease in funding specifically allocated for organic-dedicated competitive grant programs. This shift requires a closer look and a strong response from the scientific community, policymakers, and funding agencies alike. In this blog, we aim to look at the justifications given for these policy changes, and discuss the impacts that will follow if these changes are made.