H.R. 5703 — Organic Science and Research Investment Act of 2025

This section establishes the Coordinating and Expanding Organic Research Initiative within the Department of Agriculture (USDA), led by the Secretary through the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics in consultation with the Office of the Chief Scientist, to coordinate and expand organic agricultural research resources dedicated by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Economic Research Service (ERS), and National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The Initiative must (1) coordinate research applicable to organic and transitioning-to-organic producers; (2) review and assess completed and ongoing such research; (3) develop iterative strategic plans for future research; and (4) conduct surveys and submit reports to the Secretary. Not later than three years after establishment and every five years thereafter—in coordination with the agricultural research roadmap under 7 U.S.C. 7614a—the Initiative must survey USDA organic research across ARS, NIFA, ERS, and NASS and recommend expansions and strategies to support organic producers, consumers, markets, and industry (e.g., new cultivars and breeds, ecologically based pest management, climate-resilient systems, and grazing techniques). The Secretary must appoint 12 to 18 members in the competitive service or Senior Executive Service with organic expertise from USDA agencies, including at least one-quarter from ARS and NIFA each and at least one each from the Office of the Chief Scientist, National Organic Program, ERS, and NASS; the Chief Scientist representative serves as chair for five-year terms (with reappointment allowed).

This section revises the Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI)—which provides competitive grants for integrated research, extension, and education activities addressing priority issues in organic agriculture—by (1) extending program authorization through FY2030 (from FY2023); (2) adding authorized activities, including facilitating identification and adoption of traditional ecological knowledge, developing cultural practices as alternatives to substances recommended for removal from the National Organic Program's National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, and assessing organic agriculture's role in climate adaptation and mitigation; (3) requiring grants for traditional ecological knowledge projects to have a project director from a 1994 Institution (i.e., tribal colleges or universities), Alaska Native-serving institution, or Native Hawaiian-serving institution (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)), obtain free, prior, and informed consent from relevant Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and provide attribution to knowledge sources; and (4) specifying mandatory funding of $60 million for FY2026, $70 million for FY2027, $80 million for FY2028, $90 million for FY2029, and $100 million for FY2030 and each fiscal year thereafter (previously authorized through FY2023 with amounts unspecified beyond that year).

This section establishes a competitive grant program administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board, to support research, education, and extension activities on transitioning nonorganic agricultural production to organic systems. Grants address (1) barriers to transition, (2) effects of organic practices on ecosystem services such as soil health, greenhouse gas mitigation, water management, biodiversity, and pest management, and (3) improved technologies, methods, models, and metrics to optimize those services. Grant administration follows specified provisions of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(b)), with priority for peer-reviewed proposals partnering with producers or conducting on-farm research and involving 1890 Institutions, 1994 Institutions, Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities, or Alaska Native-serving or Native Hawaiian-serving institutions. The section authorizes $10 million for each of FY2026 and FY2027, and $20 million for FY2028 and each fiscal year thereafter.

This section (1) requires the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Economic Research Service, to conduct an economic impact analysis of organic agricultural management under the national organic program (i.e., standards for organic production established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990), including direct and indirect effects on rural and urban communities such as local economies, labor markets, environmental quality, and land ownership; to submit a plan for the analysis to the agriculture committees of Congress within one year of enactment; and to submit a report on the results within three years after submitting the plan; and (2) for the organic production and market data collection program, provides mandatory funding of $10 million for FY2025 through FY2030 (in addition to prior amounts of up to $5 million annually through FY2018, $5 million for FY2019-FY2023, and $1 million for FY2024) and increases the discretionary funding authorization to $10 million annually for FY2025 through FY2030 (from $5 million annually for FY2008 through FY2023).