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Montana Organic Association 2021 Policy Proposals – Montana Organic Association
November 4, 2021

Montana Organic Association 2021 Policy Proposals

MOA is a 501 (c) 6 trade association that has a broad ability to voice its opinion on issues, including legislation. Foundational to this work is putting policy proposals before the membership to direct this work. In order to make your voice heard by voting on the proposals, you must be a current MOA member in order to have an electronic email sent to you. All MOA memberships renew on December 1, 2021. Please be sure your membership is active. Renew MOA Membership

If you would like to know more about the issues, policy discussions will take place on Monday, November 29 at 7 pm. Please register for the Montana Organic Conference to gain access to this virtual meeting. The following proposals have been forwarded for MOA membership considerations.

Farming Practices

Hydroponics

  1. MOA supports the USDA Organic Production and Food Act provision that requires organic to be a production system that fosters the cycling of resources, promotes ecological balance and conserves biodiversity.
  2. MOA supports the USDA Organic Crop Standard that requires that soil fertility and crop nutrients will be managed through tillage and cultivation practices, crop rotations, and cover crops, supplemented with animal and crop waste materials and allowed synthetic materials.
  3. MOA opposes certification of hydroponic operations as organic.

Paperpots

  1. MOA accepts the current use of paperpots but encourages the expeditious development of (a) non-synthetic alternative(s) to synthetic glue or other disallowed materials.

Biodegradable Mulch

  1. MOA supports research that develops readily accessible biodegradable mulch that does not compromise USDA organic certification.

Ammonia Extracts

  1. MOA supports the prohibition of ammonia extracts in the USDA Certified Organic Program.

Crop Insurance

  1. MOA supports that all farming practices included in Organic System Plans of USDA Certified Organic producers be recognized as ‘good farming practices’ by the USDA Risk Management Agency and all crop insurance companies selling federally approved crop and livestock policies.

Fair markets  

  1. MOA supports Country of Origin labeling on all agricultural and food products sold in the U.S.
  2. MOA supports competitive markets for agriculture and food products through policies that reduce current and future consolidation, limit mergers, redirect food and farmer subsidies toward local producers, and encourage local economic resilience by building regional food systems that support local producers and processors, and distributors and communities.

 Beginning Farmer and Rancher

  1. MOA supports including components that include organic production in all technical, financial, and marketing assistance efforts to help existing organic, conventional, beginning, and underserved farmers expand and/or convert to organic production.
  2. MOA supports efforts to provide continuing education on the benefits of organic farming systems.

BIPOC Issues

  1. MOA supports efforts to recognize and begin to address current and historic institutional conditions and circumstances that have created an agriculture and food system in which there are inequities based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and other discriminatory factors.

Environment and Climate

  1. MOA supports the rights of farmers and farmworkers to avoid exposure to agricultural chemicals.
  2. MOA resolves that organic farming systems are best equipped to build resilience and mitigate the negative impacts of agriculture on the global climate.
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