U.S. Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Mike Braun (R-IN) introduced legislation to support organic agriculture research. The bipartisan bill, known as the Streamlining Organic Research Act, would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study the feasibility of certifying more research land as organic and protect mandatory funding for the Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI).
The OREI provides grants to universities and other organizations for organics research. In the last two years, Penn State University has received $5 million for organic research through the initiative.
Fetterman, who serves on the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, said that our farmers are some of the bests in the world and that we must support them in every way possible.
Fetterman has previously joined Senate colleague Bob Casey (D-PA) in introducing a bill to establish a grant program for farmers and agricultural producers making the transition to organic farming.
The Streamlining Organic Research Act is supported by the Organic Trade Association, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
Photo Credit: istock-fotosipsak
Categories: Pennsylvania, Crops