Written by Dan Langager, Northwest Horticultural Council, March 7, 2024
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will hold its annual spring meeting April 29-May 1, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a virtual option for those unable to travel. Public comment webinars take place the week prior. It is important that the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) hear from our industry.
The Northwest Horticultural Council (NHC) encourages you to submit comments on materials under sunset review to voice the challenges faced by our organic farmers and stakeholders. Comments can be as simple as a couple paragraphs expressing why these materials are important to your organic production. Comments from growers are highly valued by the NOSB.
This spring, the NOSB will discuss a proposal regarding “Compost Production for Organic Agriculture.” Additionally, important materials under sunset review from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances include:
- Ammonium Soaps, for use as large animal repellant only
- Hydrogen peroxide, as a sanitizer/disinfectant and plant disease control
- Horticultural oils, as an insecticide and plant disease control
- Magnesium sulfate, as a plant or soil amendment
- Peracetic acid / Peroxyacetic acid (PAA), for use as a sanitizer on food contact surfaces
- Pheromones, for insect management
- Potassium bicarbonate, for plant disease control
Click here to see the full list of sunset materials and discussion documents.
The deadline to submit written comments is 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Written comments to the NOSB can be submitted via Regulations.gov (Docket # AMS-NOP-23-0075). Tips on submitting comments can be found here.
The Board will hear oral comments via two virtual webinars on Tuesday, April 23 and Thursday, April 25, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Use the NOSB’s Milwaukee meeting webpage to sign up for oral commenting and for more information on the meeting. Registration typically fills up fast, so early registration is encouraged.
If you have any questions or would like assistance submitting comments, please contact Dan Langager at the Northwest Horticultural Council, langager@nwhort.org, 509-453-3193, or go to nwhort.org/organics.
Contact
Dan Langager
Northwest Horticultural Council
langager@nwhort.org
509-453-3193
