Funding would more than double, to $50 million a year, for research to boost organic agricultural production under a bill proposed by three members of the U.S. House of Representatives. One of the sponsors, Maine Democrat Chellie Pingree, said organic food sales have doubled in the past 10 years and “it’s just a question of getting farmers what they need to keep up with consumer demand.”
At present, the Organic Research and Extension Initiative is allocated $20 million a year. California Rep. Jimmy Panetta, a co-sponsor of the bill, said his district on the central coast of California is the fifth-largest producer of organic food and has more than 400 producers. “To remain competitive, these operations depend on innovations in research, particularly when it comes to improvements in soil health and pest management,” said Panetta, a Democrat. Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Washington, is the third sponsor of the legislation.
Panetta is a member of the House Agriculture Committee and Pingree serves on the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the USDA budget.