Organic Science and Research Investment Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- S. 1385
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Agriculture and Food
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-04-09: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Last Updated
- 2026-03-26T11:03:17Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The Organic Science and Research Investment Act of 2025 aims to boost research and support for organic farming in the United States. It directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to coordinate and expand studies on organic agriculture, help farmers switch from conventional to organic methods, and analyze the economic effects of organic practices. This builds on existing laws to promote sustainable farming, innovation, and climate resilience.
Key Provisions
- Coordinating and Expanding Organic Research Initiative (Section 2): Creates a new group within USDA, called the Coordinating and Expanding Organic Research Initiative, to oversee and grow research on organic farming. This initiative includes:
- Coordinating research across USDA agencies like the Agricultural Research Service (ARS, which conducts scientific studies), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA, which funds university-based research), Economic Research Service (ERS, which analyzes economic data), and National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS, which collects farm statistics).
- Reviewing past and current organic research.
- Creating strategic plans for future studies.
- Conducting surveys every five years (starting three years after setup) and reporting findings, including recommendations for new research on topics like pest management, soil health, climate adaptation, water use, food safety, and new organic products.
- Requiring consultation with experts, including the National Organic Standards Board (which sets organic rules), land-grant universities (public colleges focused on agriculture), farmers, and ranchers.
- The initiative has 12–18 members from USDA, serving five-year terms, with balanced representation from key agencies.
- USDA's Secretary must consider the initiative's recommendations in budget planning and report to Congress on how they are addressed.
- Organic Research and Extension Initiative Amendments (Section 3): Updates an existing program to extend funding through 2030 and add new focus areas, such as:
- Incorporating traditional ecological knowledge (time-tested practices from indigenous communities).
- Developing alternatives to prohibited substances in organic standards.
- Studying how organic farming can reduce greenhouse gases, build resilience to climate change, and support regenerative systems (farming that restores soil and ecosystems).
- Increases annual funding from $50 million in 2023 to $100 million by 2030 and beyond.
- For projects involving indigenous knowledge, requires leadership by specific institutions (like tribal colleges), free and informed consent from tribes or Native Hawaiian groups, and proper credit to knowledge sources.
- Researching the Transition to Organic (Section 4): Authorizes new competitive grants for research, education, and outreach on switching from non-organic to organic farming. Grants focus on:
- Identifying barriers to transition (e.g., costs or knowledge gaps).
- Measuring benefits like improved soil health, carbon storage, water efficiency, biodiversity, and pest control.
- Developing tools to track and enhance these benefits.
- Prioritizes partnerships with farmers, on-farm testing, and involvement from historically underserved institutions (e.g., 1890 land-grant colleges for Black students, 1994 tribal colleges, Hispanic-serving colleges).
- Funding: $10 million per year for 2026–2027, rising to $20 million annually from 2028 onward.
- Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives Amendments (Section 5): Enhances data collection on organic markets and adds an economic impact study:
- Requires USDA's ERS to analyze how organic farming affects economies, including jobs, local communities, environment, and land use, considering farms of all sizes and regions.
- Mandates a plan submitted to Congress within one year of enactment, followed by a full report within three years.
- Increases funding for data initiatives to $10 million annually through 2030.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amendments to the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998: Inserts a new section (401) to establish the Coordinating and Expanding Organic Research Initiative, which did not exist before, formalizing coordination across USDA agencies.
- Amendments to the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990:
- Extends the Organic Research and Extension Initiative from 2023 to 2030, adds three new purposes (traditional knowledge, alternatives to prohibited substances, climate adaptation), and ramps up funding levels.
- Adds a new section (1674) on transition research, which was absent.
- Updates grant rules and indigenous knowledge protections.
- Amendments to the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002: Adds a subsection on economic impact analysis of organic certification and farming, extends data program funding through 2030, and doubles annual appropriations.
These changes shift from scattered efforts to a structured, funded framework for organic research, with extended timelines and higher budgets.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: USDA agencies (e.g., ARS, NIFA, ERS, NASS) will dedicate more resources and staff to organic research, leading to better coordination, new strategic plans, and regular reporting to Congress. This could increase administrative workload but improve efficiency in addressing organic needs. The Secretary of Agriculture must integrate recommendations into budgets, potentially influencing federal spending priorities.
- On Citizens and Farmers: Organic and transitioning farmers gain access to targeted research, grants, and tools to improve productivity, profitability, and sustainability (e.g., better pest control without chemicals, climate-resilient practices). Consumers may benefit from safer, higher-quality organic foods and innovations in processing. Rural communities could see economic boosts from stronger local markets and jobs in organic sectors. Indigenous communities get protections for their knowledge, promoting cultural respect.
- On International Relations: Primarily domestic, but enhanced U.S. organic research could strengthen export standards and competitiveness in global organic markets, indirectly supporting trade under the national organic program.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Organic and Conventional Farmers/Ranchers: Direct beneficiaries through research on transitions, barriers, and practices; includes those handling or processing organic products.
- Transitioning Producers: Special focus on overcoming challenges for farms switching to organic methods.
- USDA Agencies and Staff: ARS, NIFA, ERS, NASS, and the Office of the Chief Scientist must collaborate more closely.
- Educational Institutions: Land-grant universities, 1890/1994 institutions, Hispanic-serving, Alaska Native-serving, and Native Hawaiian-serving colleges prioritized for grants and partnerships.
- Indigenous and Tribal Groups: Involved via consent requirements and leadership in knowledge-related projects.
- Consumers and Industry: Organic food buyers and marketers benefit from data on quality, safety, and economic impacts.
- Congress and Policymakers: Receive reports and plans to guide future agriculture policy.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens compliance with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 by funding alternatives to prohibited substances and enhancing certification data. Introduces consent and attribution rules for indigenous knowledge, aligning with the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (which supports tribal self-governance). Grant processes follow existing competitive rules under the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act, ensuring fairness and peer review.
- Constitutional: Promotes equal protection by prioritizing underserved institutions (e.g., minority-serving colleges), addressing historical inequities in agriculture funding without violating equal treatment under the law.
- Political: Signals bipartisan support for sustainable agriculture (introduced by a diverse group of senators), potentially influencing farm bill debates by embedding organic priorities in budgets. Could face scrutiny over funding increases amid fiscal constraints, but emphasizes non-partisan goals like climate mitigation and food security. No major controversies noted in the bill text, focusing on coordination rather than regulation.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (12)
Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA], Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY], Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ], Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR], Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI], Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN], Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT], Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA], Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR], Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME], Sen. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM], Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Recent Actions
- 2025-04-09: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 2025-04-09: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Organic Science and Research Investment Act of 2025 — issued 2025-04-09 — PDF (19 pages)