USDA Support for Organic Agriculture across the Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Agencies

Abstract

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has supported some research, education and extension related to organic agriculture for several decades, with significant increases in recent years, particularly since The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) established the National Organic Program (NOP) in 1990. Final rules for implementing this legislation came out in 2000 and nationwide organic standards for certification under a national organic label were first established in 2002. The sale of certified organic products has continued to grow ever since.