An update from Update from CCOF Inc.
Beyond the coronavirus crisis, the United States continues to face unprecedented levels of chronic disease. Organic farming, which provides nutritious food and prohibits synthetic pesticides, plays a pivotal role in public health. Recognizing this, the CCOF Foundation has released the Roadmap to an Organic California: Policy Report, which provides next steps for putting organic to work to improve the health of all people.
The CCOF Foundation is launching “Roadmap to an Organic California,” a new project for 2018 that will make the case for increasing certified organic land in California and recommend state policies to achieve 10 percent certified organic agricultural land by 2030.
For the first time in over a decade, the California Organic Products Advisory Committee (COPAC) has a nearly full roster of appointed committee members. The reinvigorated committee will provide critical leadership and elevate the voice of California’s organic sector in public policy and programs.
If all goes as planned, by September 2017 California will join nine states in restricting pesticide use near schools. Of the states with regulations, California’s will be the most restrictive as far as chemical use and application methods, says Brian Leahy, Director of California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR).
On September 21, 2016, Governor Jerry Brown ushered in the next chapter of organic agriculture in California by signing into law the California Organic Food and Farming Act (COFFA). The law marks the first update to California’s organic law and program in over a decade, bringing about much needed reform to support the growing demand for organic agricultural products.
The California State Legislature passed AB 1826—the California Organic Food and Farming Act (COFFA)—with unanimous bipartisan support in response to hundreds of organic farmers, businesses, and consumers calling for critical updates to the California State Organic Program (SOP). COFFA is expected to be signed into law by October 2016.
CCOF recently released a report on economic barriers to organic transition that synthesizes discussions from two focus groups in June 2015. CCOF hosted the focus groups under a contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through its Sound and Sensible Initiative, an effort to make organic certification accessible, attainable, and affordable.
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