No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section revises the national organic certification cost-share program by renaming it the Opportunities in Organic program, adding definitions (including for eligible nonprofit organizations serving socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (as defined in 7 U.S.C. 2279(a)), organic producers and handlers, vulnerable or under-resourced agricultural regions, and transition to organic), and expanding its purposes to include support and technical assistance for transition to organic and organic management. The section establishes federal organic certification cost-share payments for producers and handlers obtaining certification under the national organic production program (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.), up to $1,500 maximum per recipient, with authority to exceed that amount for recipients in high-cost regions or who are members of socially disadvantaged groups to ensure affordability. The section further directs the Secretary of Agriculture to award funding to eligible nonprofit organizations for capacity-building activities and transition support, including producer recruitment, translation and communication materials, certification application and compliance assistance, financial and conservation planning, fair contracting support, technical assistance on organic practices (e.g., soil health and pest management), training for agricultural advisors and industry entities, and paid mentor-mentee relationships between organic producers and those transitioning to organic.